Hidden But Revealed

Checked your utility bill lately? If not, give it a try and see how much, if any, extra charges there are. Might be an eye opener. Recently a friend sent an email with a list of taxes that were non-existent 100 years ago. Take a look.

Building Permit Tax CDL License Tax Cigarette Tax Corporate Income Tax Dog License Tax Federal Income Tax Federal Unemployment Tax Fishing License Tax Food License Tax Fuel Permit Tax Gasoline Tax Hunting License Tax Inheritance Tax Inventory Tax IRS Interest Charges (tax on top of tax) IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax) Liquor Tax Luxury Tax Marriage License Tax Medicare Tax Property Tax Real Estate Tax Service charge Taxes Social Security Tax Road Usage Tax (Truckers) Sales Taxes Recreational Vehicle Tax School Tax State Income Tax State Unemployment Tax (SUTA) Telephone Federal Excise Tax Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Tax Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax Telephone Recurring and Non-recurring Charges Tax Telephone State and Local Tax Telephone Usage Charge Tax Utility Tax Vehicle License Registration Tax Vehicle Sales Tax Watercraft Registration Tax Well Permit Tax Workers Compensation Tax . . .

You maybe didn't read all 150 words about these taxes but there they are. And there are most likely more. Now, on the finer side, and there is one, many taxes are necessary or helpful and somebody has to pay. Pretty hard to find donors for some of these. And of course, historically, taxation is as old as the hills even though it seems as though modernity has been rather ingenious, particularly with Recurring and Non-recurring, Luxury, Usage, Tax on Tax,Registration, Minimum Usage and Surcharge taxes.

I remember working overseas where taxation can be problematical. I paid my dues only to get a note from Uncle Sam. We had a long distance correspondence where HE argued that I had paid more than I should. Guess who won the argument? I finally gave up and accepted HIS verdict. Has ever happened again to me? I can honestly say that it has not. But I'm still waiting.