Can I get a show of hands from those of you who HATE paying taxes as much as me :hate: Gawd I hate this time if year. One good thing the IRS is giving out free pencil sharpeners this year!
I'd be lying if I said I don't mind paying taxes but I can appreciate the things that money buys us. Federal money funds (among other things) the lions share of the research that keeps me employed (and will ultimately find cures to things like cancer, diabetes and AIDS). Wife works for Uncle Sam so it's paying her check too. As far as state taxes- I was sad to have to write a check for more than a new bike would have cost but I will say that we have beautiful parks here and the snow was always plowed from the street in front of my house allowing me to get to work okay. I don't mind paying taxes, I just wish they wouldn't waste the money on stupid stuff.
If we ran our household finances like the government did we'd all come home to eviction notices. If businesses operated and gave the same level of service the government does they'd go under in a month.
I did the 'Tax Calculator' at that website and I'd owe several thousand dollars more under that system than under the current one. Living in MD is tough. In TN, where I'm from, if my wife and I had this income level we'd be solidly upper-middle class and very comfortable. Here, we live basically paycheck to paycheck and not because we lead an extravagant lifestyle. (I drive an 8 y/o car and live in a house that doesn't even have AC)
Location makes a huge difference. We couldn't get ahead on $80k in Australia, but bought a house in Utah when our combined income was half that.
I wouldn't mind paying if...well that would be for another post. My wife is a retired federal employee who is now a contractor so we benefit from taxes as well. Having said that, some of the most ludacris things I have seen are in medical disability(speaking mostly of military retirement benefits). I have no sh^% seen people get 80% disability for headaches while a Major who flew B-52's for a career got MS and can not get full disability. I can't let it go unsaid that I have a great deal of loathing for the way most federal handout programs are run as well and I DO NOT want my hard earned money being doled out in many of the ways I see it being handled. As far as my taxes here in the fine Commonwealth...well that would be another post too.
Live in New Hampshire. :love: No state income tax. :thumbsup: No state sales tax. :thumbsup: And as far as the feds go... having children rocks my taxes in an amazing way! This was the first year getting to claim the little one. And of course since we're on the topic... blah blah blah political rant... blah blah.
A couple years ago, I had to pay an additional $5,700 in taxes. I chose to downsize my motorcycle, rather than sell my tandem at that time.
