Sunday, February 10, 2008

The Burden of Government

FYI.

Wisconsin residents paid more in federal, state, and local taxes for the fourth consecutive year in 2007. Payments rose 8.1%, to $66.4 billion. Growing federal taxes (up 10.8%) were primarily responsible for the increase. State tax collections grew less (3.9%), hampered by stagnant sales tax revenues and falling cigarette tax revenues. Local taxes (3.0%) increased the least. These tax trends are examined in “Wisconsin’s Total Taxes: 2007,” a new report from the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance (WISTAX). WISTAX is a nonprofit, nonpartisan public-policy research organization.

Total taxes in 2007 claimed 34.7% of personal income, an increase of one percentage point from 2006 (33.7%). This percentage was at its highest since 2001 (33.9%). While still lower than 2000’s record high (36.8%), the tax burden has moved up following declines between 2001 and 2003, when an economic slowdown and tax policy changes lowered tax collections.

A total of $14.9 billion in state taxes and fees were collected in fiscal 2007, an increase from $14.3 billion in 2006. State taxes were 7.8% of personal income, slightly lower than in 2006 (7.9%).

(8) Comments
Posted by Owen at 2206 hrs
Politics + Politics - General + Politics - Wisconsin

  1. yet my state refund went up by over $200 !!

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 10, 2008 at 2241 hrs


  2. Yeah, and people paid more for gasoline, electricity, and health insurance, too.  Can we complain about that too?

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 11, 2008 at 0038 hrs


  3. Capper:

    I have choices when it comes to gasoline, electricity and even health insurance.  I can drive less, I can consume less electricity and can even shop around for cheaper health insurance or go without if I so choose.  However, If I do not pay my taxes I can and will go to JAIL or have my home taken from me.  I think there is a BIG difference here.  Why can’t liberals see that.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 11, 2008 at 0219 hrs


  4. Capper:

    I have choices when it comes to gasoline, electricity and even health insurance.  I can drive less, I can consume less electricity and can even shop around for cheaper health insurance or go without if I so choose.  However, If I do not pay my taxes I can and will go to JAIL or have my home taken from me.  I think there is a BIG difference here.  Why can’t liberals see that.

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 11, 2008 at 0219 hrs


  5. Sorry for the double posting

    Posted by .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) on February 11, 2008 at 0220 hrs


  6. What can I say is, this is some kind of deadly obligation. If we have work we pay for taxes, even to go shopping, groceries still have taxes. How can we avoid it?

    Posted by Peyton on February 11, 2008 at 0239 hrs


  7. We cannot do away with taxes. It’s an obligation. Even the commodities we buy, they also carry taxes.

    Posted by Humus on February 11, 2008 at 0510 hrs


  8. I pay my taxes religiously. My pay goes mostly to taxes, but still this country has been going downhill in the past months. Can anybody reconcile this? 14.9 BILLION goes to where?

    Posted by Viktor on February 11, 2008 at 0721 hrs


  9. My pay goes mostly to taxes

    How are things in Denmark, by the way?

    Posted by scott on February 11, 2008 at 0943 hrs


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