Are We Being Overtaxed?

A tax increase here, a tax increase there, here a tax, there a tax, everywhere a tax increase...have you considered exactly how many taxes we already pay?

WE THE PEOPLE need to understand just how many taxes are in place for the average American taxpayer.

According to BalancedPolitics.org here is a list of Personal/Consumer Taxes & Fees Americans pay. (note that this list does not include the other taxes if you are also a business owner.)

Federal income tax

State income tax
Local income tax 
Employee social security tax (your employer pays the other half) 
Employee Medicare tax (your employer pays the other half) 
Property taxes (in SC this is local not state at present)
Road toll charges 
State sales tax 
Driver's license renewal fee 
TV Cable/Satellite fees & taxes 
Federal telephone surtax, excise tax, and universal surcharge State telephone excise tax and surcharge Telephone minimum usage and recurring/nonrecurring charges tax 
Gas/electric bill fees & taxes 

Water/sewer fees & taxes 
Cigarette tax 
Alcohol tax 
Federal gasoline tax 
State gasoline tax 
Local gasoline tax 
Federal inheritance tax 
State inheritance tax 
Gift tax 
Bridge toll charges 
Marriage license 
Hunting license 
Fishing license 
Bike license fee 
Dog permit/license 
State park permit 
Watercraft registration & licensing fees 
Sports stadium tax 
Bike/nature trail permit 
Court case filing fee 
Retirement account early withdrawal penalty 
Individual health insurance mandate tax 
Hotel stay tax 
Plastic surgery surcharge 
Soda/fatty-food tax 
Air transportation tax 
Electronic transmission of tax return fees 
Passport application/renewal fee 
Luxury & gas-guzzler car taxes 
New car surcharge 
License plate and car ownership transfer taxes 
Yacht and luxury boat taxes 
Jewelry taxes & surcharges 
State/local school tax 
Recreational vehicle tax 
Special assessments for road repairs or construction 
Gun ownership permit 
Kiddie tax (IRS form 8615) 
Fuel gross receipts tax 
Waste Management tax 
Oil and gas assessment tax 
Use taxes (on out-of-state purchase) 
IRA rollover tax/withdrawal penalties 
Tax on non-qualified health saving account distributions 
Individual and small business surtax (page 336 of Obamacare) 
Estimated income tax underpayment penalty 
Alternative Minimum Tax on income 

Another concerning possible tax has come to light recently. According to the SC Policy Council, within our SC State Constitution lies an amendment for the provision for an automatic “STATE” property tax to be imposed if the state cannot make a payment on bond debt? And with our state being in debt over $44,460,295 and rising according to the debt clock, we are on shaky ground and could see a state property tax kick in. It will require a 2/3 vote by SC House and Senate to repeal that amendment that allows this addition of a STATE property tax to kick in. Citizens should be contacting their legislators to protect taxpayers by repealing that amendment to the Constitution. We must force our elected to be more responsible in their borrowing. They shouldn't be putting us in more debt, or we may indeed see a State property tax come into existence.

Now let's talk about the recent gasoline tax SC legislators imposed upon us. When SC legislators passed the gas-tax-hike law, which raised the gas tax 12 cents per gallon over six years, and also increased vehicle taxes and fees, they promised we would see improvements in our maintenance of roads. Have you seen improvement taking place in your county? 

Finally let's all remember SC has a surplus in the coffers this year of over $1 billion dollars. Will any of that money come back to the taxpayers? Shouldn't our taxes be reduced at least? Will pork-barrel-type expenditures take place due to this “surplus” of OUR taxes? If history holds true to form...the SC taxpayers will not get anything back.

With our debt increasing minute by minute, legislators always wanting more money from the taxpayer, and according to gobankingrates.com SC is the sixteenth lowest total tax bill in the nation at a total of $13,562 on the average per taxpayer...we may see our legislators rationalizing taxpayers can afford more tax.

The site broke it down in the article written by John Csiszar on Jan. 19, 2019 to these numbers for the average SC taxpayer:

Fed income tax paid $6,251

State income tax paid $3,183

Gas tax paid $ 257

Sales tax paid $ 2,932

Property tax paid $ 939

Let's not ever forget that the Revolutionary War was fought over one of the main grievances being unfair taxation.

A great quote from former President of the United States Calvin Coolidge is appropriate to summarize what is truth, “Collecting more taxes than is absolute necessary is legalized robbery.”

by Johnnelle Raines