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Americans Spend More on Taxes Than Food, Clothing and Housing Combined
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How bad is the tax burden in America? According to the Tax Foundation, people will spend more on state, municipal, and federal taxes than the annual financial burdens of food, clothing, and housing combined, according to its data.
The calculation is based on the date of Tax Freedom Day, the point at which Americans have gone enough days to pay their annual taxes, beginning from the first day of the year. This year, that date will be April 24. It is worth noting that U.S. tax payers are better off than those in several other countries.
The organization’s researchers explain:
- This year, Tax Freedom Day falls on April 24, or 114 days into the year (excluding Leap Day).
- Americans will pay $3.3 trillion in federal taxes and $1.6 trillion in state and local taxes, for a total bill of almost $5.0 trillion, or 31 percent of the nation’s income.
- Tax Freedom Day is one day earlier than last year, due to slightly lower federal tax collections as a proportion of the economy.
- Americans will collectively spend more on taxes in 2016 than they will on food, clothing, and housing combined.
- If you include annual federal borrowing, which represents future taxes owed, Tax Freedom Day would occur 16 days later, on May 10.
- Tax Freedom Day is a significant date for taxpayers and lawmakers because it represents how long Americans as a whole have to work in order to pay the nation’s tax burden.
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