A Letter from Rhino Reader Thomas L. Knapp
The deadline for filing US federal income tax returns falls (usually) on April 15, a date that’s worked its way into the American vocabulary as “tax day.” That’s really not a very accurate term.
For one thing, most Americans pay all sorts of other taxes (sales taxes, excise taxes, property taxes, etc.) all the time. You can’t swing a cat without hitting a tax … and there’s probably a tax on swinging cats, which I recommend against doing for all kinds of reasons other than potential tax implications.
For another, most Americans pay federal income tax year-round through withholding from their paychecks (or quarterly “estimated” payments). April 15 is just the day when the government demands that you do their paperwork for them to make sure they took as much as they wanted to take from you last year.
And even when you’re not paying up front, you’re still getting taxed.
Last year the federal government took $5.2 trillion directly from US taxpayers, but spent $7 trillion. Congress borrowed that extra $1.8 trillion, promising their creditors that, sooner or later, they’ll get the money, plus interest, out of you or your descendants. It’s still tax, just with payment temporarily deferred.
Not all taxes fall on all Americans evenly, of course.
Because federal income taxes are “progressive,” the top 20% of American earners pay 66.1% of federal taxes, while the bottom 20% of earners pay 0.8%.
State and local sales taxes are, for the most part, income-neutral, but the poor end of the spectrum gets hit harder as a practical matter because they spend more of what they earn to get by, while the wealthier save or invest larger percentages of their own incomes.
Social Security taxes? They’re “regressive” because of lifespan — working class black males, who die younger, subsidize the retirements of middle class white women, who live longer.
Speaking of dying younger and living longer, that’s what taxation is really all about: Draining your length and quality of life to keep government going and make it ever more powerful.
It’s no more complicated than that, no matter how much garbage propaganda you’re fed to justify it.
Taxation isn’t about “helping the poor” or “defending the country” or any other supposedly good cause. It’s about taking money out of your pocket (which to some extent means taking food out of your mouth) and putting it into politicians’ hands. That’s all it’s ever been about.
So happy tax day, I guess.
Thomas L. Knapp
From your lips to God’s ears.
Unfortunately God can’t help us on this. Also, research how long we’ve had an income tax in this country. It will make you sick and open your eyes on this massive scam being heaped upon us by professional politicians from the federal level all the way down to the local level.
Want to know where your confiscated money goes? As of 2025–2026, the annual salary for most rank-and-file members of the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate is $174,000.00 a year (for what). This rate has been frozen since 2009. Leadership positions earn higher salaries: the Speaker of the House makes $223,500.00 (for what), while majority/minority leaders and the Senate Pro Tempore earn $193,400.00 (for what). This does not include expenses and other such things. They get paid when the Congress is in recess, i.e. not working.
Ask yourself how many times you have tuned into the broadcast out of the House and Senate chambers with someone standing at the podium speaking and they pan to the NEAR EMPTY room.
We the People have been getting scammed by these “Representatives of the People for so long.
Sheeple of America, unite.
Even more than their salaries, wait until you find out how much is spent on their staff, advisors, travel, etc…. The average cost is 1.5 million to 2 million dollars per member in congress. Used to be they worked for us, but now they just work for the most wealthy and big businesses the fund their campaigns. We are an afterthought.
Just to add a complete picture….The top 20% of income earners earn 52.2% of total income and pay 66% of taxes and the bottom 20% income earners only earn 3% of total income and only pay 0.8% of taxes. It’s not as dramatic when view this way in my opinion.
This of course only includes income taxes. Lower income people pay 3x to 4x as much of their earnings on consumption taxes versus the upper income brackets.
So yes, income tax is progressive, but consumption taxes are regressive. Does that even it out?….not really, but the system seems to work until you get to the upper 1% where their ‘income’ is more easily hidden from taxes and therefore, they are often accused of not paying their fair share. Since they ‘hide’ their income, it ‘looks’ like they pay more than their fair share but that is the scam that has allowed the wealth divide to grow out of control in this country.
Right now, I suggest the bigger concern is the growing percentage of taxes required to pay the national debt. Currently, we pay ~$7,500 per year per working household just to service the national debt. Dramatic spending cuts plus tax increases on the upper income levels and corporations are going to be required to solve this growing problem. The only question is when.
Cutting taxes and increasing spending isn’t the solution.
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He’s right.
Government is an insatiable parasite.
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In the 1970’s my father had an office in Headrow House in central Leeds. The Inland Revenue (UK equivalent of the IRS at that time) had the entire top floor of the building, and there was a cafeteria for everyone who worked in the building. My dad became friendly with the taxmen over time, and would tease them about their occupation. He never forgot one particular conversation in which the bureaucrat revealed that the agency had conducted a study into exactly how much of an average man’s weekly pay packet* was eventually clawed back by government, one way or another. After the obvious Income Tax and National Insurance (like FICA), half of a gallon of petrol or a packet of cigarettes was tax. VAT was 15% on almost everything (now 20%). And there were literally hundreds of stamp taxes, excise duties, tariffs, and fees on everything under the Sun.
The bureaucrats themselves had been shocked by the result of their calculations. The guy refused to tell my father the percentage, but he did say that if the number was known, there would be a revolution.
My Dad used to joke that it was enough to drive you to drink. And a third of the price of a Pint was excise duty….
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* This was when everybody got paid in a little brown envelope full of cash every Friday.
It’s theft I tell you! Theft!!!
Harold,
You are partly right. Yes, these vampires are stealing from us, but it’s actually more like the ultimate confidence scam.
And I call them vampires because vampires don’t totally drain their victim. They take what they want so they can come back for more and more repeatedly. You milk the cow, you don’t kill it.
You can’t extract information if the prisoner is dead, so governments use torture methods to squeeze it (the taxes) out of you.
But it’s legal!
Oooh, these numbers make me all warm and fuzzy, NOT
.
Are we really free? Or are we living in a modern feudalism where we work until May of each year for our Lords and Masters, and who demand from us a princely sum each year to allow us to live in our own homes?
Al Hare,
Well and wisely said sir, well and wisely said.
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Appreciate that, Patrick. Government just bullies us and robs us. Both Skip Alston and Josh Stein are threatening us with “massive cuts” to public services if they don’t get their tax hikes.
You know what? If I had a choice I would abolish ALL local public services, except for law enforcement and road maintenance. The rest of them can get real jobs.
I’m sick of being treated like a medieval serf – by mental pygmies with a superiority complex and a love of other people’s money.