Tax Falsehoods

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Oh, the fictions our politicians weave.  And, they hope- no, they expect- we, the citizenry will fall under their spell and believe them.

The problem?  Most of you believe them.   Because checking out the “facts” they spew takes time, energy, and work.  So, it’s easier to believe them.  Because, until recently, we never had a slew of elected officials who thought their job was to take money from big businesses, from the Koch Brothers and their ALEC state control organizations, and other lobbyists instead of following the wishes of the citizenry that elected them.

I’ve showed you the IRS data that demonstrates that the poor and the middle class provide most of the money that our government collects.  Let me say that again (and again).  The poor and the middle class provide most of the US government receipts.  I’ve included that graph right here.

From Where Do Our Federal Dollars Come?

See, here’s the real facts.  Given the slashing that we’ve done to the individual tax rates, the special breaks we provide corporations, the allowance of these same entities to hide their funds overseas, it is important to recognize that social security and Medicare – and special taxes (fees)- are vital components of the collections our government obtains.

But, that’s only part of the story.  There’s state taxes, too.  In the Commonwealth of Virginia, the income tax rates are pretty flat.  For those with the lowest taxable income, the rate is 2%; it’s 3% on taxable income between 3 and 5K; 5% up to 17K, with the top rate being 5.75%.  Oh, and we pay sales tax on everything- except for drugs and some (not all) food.  With a 10% levy when we go to McDonalds or to that 5 star restaurant.  So, it shouldn’t surprise you that the poor are paying Virginia’s highest burden of taxes.

State Tax Burdens

Don’t think that Virginia is an aberration.  It’s true pretty much across these United States.

And, it’s something you all should know.  The rich may b….ch, but they don’t pay high taxes.  (And, that includes the fact that they have sophisticated tax schemes to shave even more money from their bill.)

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