Where Is Your Paycheck Going?

where-is-your-paycheck-going1

While many of the nation’s high net-worth individuals make much of their income through capital gains, those who still collect a paycheck are doling out of cash to the IRS every time they get paid. The same is true for all taxpayers no matter what income level they fall in. In fact, according to a recent report, American taxpayers will spend more on taxes in 2016 than some of the most basic monthly expenditures combined.

The Tax Foundation recently reported that the nation’s taxpayers would pay $3.3 trillion in federal taxes and an additional $1.6 trillion in state and local taxes this year. That is almost $5 trillion in total taxes paid, which represents 31 percent of the country’s income. To put that into perspective, Americans will pay more in taxes this year than they will for housing, clothing and food combined.

So, next time you wonder where your paycheck is going just look to the federal government, because they own about a third of it. The percentage is even higher for high net-worth individuals. Meantime, the Tax Foundation also reported that Tax Freedom Day fell on April 24 this year, one day earlier than last year. Tax Freedom Day represents how long the country, as a whole, has to work to pay off its tax debt for the entire year. So in a sense, up until this point in the year, the nation’s entire workforce has been working for free.

Posted in

Revisiting Your Will

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Revisiting Your Will The importance of having a will cannot be overemphasized. It’s not simply the way that you direct the distribution of your financial and personal assets. Your will also enables you to designate an executor (or personal representative) who will act in your stead to meet your obligations and steer your assets…

Tax Tips for New Ecommerce Entrepreneurs

Tax Tips for New Ecommerce Entrepreneurs New ecommerce entrepreneurs can find them confused and confounded by the tax and accounting requirements of their venture. And that’s a shame: If someone’s spotted a great new category and successfully built a web presence, heck, that someone shouldn’t find themselves bogged down with the accounting minutia. The entrepreneur…

HERO Act Expands IRA Options for Military

HERO Act Expands IRA Options for Military Members of the military serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and other combat zone localities can now put money into an individual retirement account, even if they received tax-free combat pay, according to the Internal Revenue Service. Under the Heroes Earned Retirement Opportunities (HERO) Act, signed into law on Memorial…

Tips for the Self Employed in Avoiding an IRS Audit

Dealing with IRS Collections

Dealing with IRS Collections There are times when taxpayers are unable to pay amounts owed the IRS on a tax return or as a result of an audit. Presuming there is no disagreement about the tax liability, just a lack of funds to pay, the taxpayer is best served by avoiding the collection process. There…