| Author | Message | ||
     Southernmarine |
Since we are also talking politics on this board, I have a question for those interested. If a candidate were to address this as an issue, he would spark my interest in voting for them. I have asked the following question numerous times to many different people and NOT ONE PERSON, has been able to come up with a valid answer. Anyone care to take a shot? Why should any Federal employee, Military Member, etc.., pay Federal Taxes on the salary they earn from their Govt/military job? I understand Social Security, etc.., but why the Tax? On that same note, why should a state employee pay state taxes on their state employee salary? Is it just me or is this not ignorant? How much of our tax money is wasted through this process? And don't tell me money isn't wasted through this process, because time is money. | ||
| M1combat |
Because the government agency can then use the money to accrue interest before they give it back to you. That way they make money off of it instead of you. | ||
| Dasxb9s |
Actually... we get to pay extra... civilian anyway... something they used to call HITS... which as I was told was a tax to help provide health care for those who have no health care. Somehow tied into medicare I think. I also have three retirement deductions. Social Security, federal retirement and a 401K type fund. By the time I have all the deductions and the extra into the 401K (I have a mandatory retirement on my 57th birthday... a hell of a time to look for another job!!! I can, but can't afford to retire just before my 51st birthday next year... I can't take out of the 401K without a 10% penalty before my 55th birthday, and my Social Security won't be available until well after that!) ...any way after all the deductions my take home is about 50% of my gross! After almost 30 years in law enforcement I am ready to take a less stressful job... but have a 15 year old who has this insane idea about going to college!!! I will be eligible, but can't afford to retire!!! Here is another do as I say not as I do federal government thing... my hourly rate and overtime rate is exactly the same amount. When I do get "overtime"... I hit a per pay period earnings cap and they list on my check the "over earned" amount of how much they can't pay above the earnings cap. So if I did get 1 1/2 time... I'd hit that cap sooner and be working for free sooner... no comp time or roll over into the next pay period!!! I used to date a lady who made $30,000 less than me a year and our take home was the same!!! DasBuell | ||
| Evaddave |
Because it makes the system fair. Certain tax deductions are phased out or disallowed after someone has reached a certain income level. Government employees would have an unfair advantage in these situations because their gross income without the tax deductions would be less than their "effective" gross income if the taxes were deducted from the pay. That probably didn't come out right. Here's an example. If I would normally make $50K and would have $10K taken out for tax, and my neighbor, Joe Bureaucrat was a federal employee making the same money he would essentially make $40K and have $0 taken out for tax. Now, come tax time, my gross income is $50K and Joe's is $40K. Besides making the tax forms even more complex than they are, I would bump up against the deduction limitations sooner, even though we make effectively the same amount. And if you thought Taxation without Representation was a hot topic, consider Representation without Taxation. "Joe doesn't pay taxes; why should Congress listen to him?" The best description I ever heard about governmemt was this: "Government isn't about saving money. It's about circulating money." In the end, it doesn't really matter how much the government spends on something because that money is going to American citizens and businesses. | ||
| Blake |
It is kinda silly, but it does give you a sense of ownership in "our" country and "our" government. Otherwise some gov employees might tend to feel a bit disenfranchised from their own government. Been waiting all my life to use that word.  Not to mention what Mr. Lassiter says. Do you have social security taken out of your paychecks too? | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
yea why do i have to pay taxes...........oh wait im not (combatzone tax exclusion) | ||
| Hootowl |
Unfortunately, most of our service members make so little money that they pay almost no tax anyway. Unfortunate that they are underpaid, not that they pay very little tax. Also, only "pay" is taxed. "Allowances" are not. BAQ/VHA and commuted rations are allowances and are not taxed. This lowers the tax burden of our soldiers. | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
wow hoot u just explaine something i have had to explain many times at work (im a finance spec in the army) that is very true the only thing that is taxed its base pay and boneus (spelled wrong) which the bonuses are highly taxed (though i forget the rate) unless the bonus is earned in a combat zone (like mine $10,000 no taxes.......all mine uncle sam eat ur heart out) how ever if the sm earned a bonus prior to deploying to a combat zone and are reciving a yearly enstallment while there the bonus is still taxed | ||
| Southernmarine |
No matter how you explain it, taking money for federal taxes from someone in federal/military employment cannot be logically explained. As citizens we pay taxes in order to pay my salary, among other things like that $600 toilet seat. Why would you then take money from the salary you pay me in order to turn around and pay me again and again? If I make money separate from my military pay, then feel free to tax it. How is it fair for an employer to take money from your salary to then use to pay your salary the next week? Where's the logic? And don't say by making everyone pay taxes makes it fair to everyone across the board. NO, I just proved that wrong. Your company does not take part of your salary in order to pay you your next paycheck. If I'm wrong then someone please explain it to me very slowly. By the way, some of us do wind up getting all of the taxes we paid returned to us, sometimes even more. Then again, some of us don't. I'm not moaning and complaining, not yet, I just want to know that if there is a logical explanation to this, because I have yet to hear one. | ||
| Icarumba |
Hi Southernmarine, the tax is paid by all employees, regardless of employer. Our tax system is based on the income of an individual. The source of the income is irrelevant. You do work and are paid for it, that is income to you, so it is taxed. For more tax fun, who thinks corporations pay taxes? | ||
| Ted |
right. income is income. why should some fed CEO making big bucks not pay taxes? | ||
| Ray_maines |
If government employees earned, say, 30% less than privet sector people doing the same job, then perhaps they could be excused from paying income taxes. Other than that, income is income! | ||
| Glitch |
www.fairtax.org If someone would back this they'd get my vote for sure! | ||
| Court |
For the record, let me emphatically state that I don't think anyone should pay Texas. Let them handle it themselves. | ||
| Southernmarine |
Love that Court.  Yes, income in income, but think about this: On payday you look at your statement and find that your employer took !0-15% of your salary and told you it was for the upkeep of the building, buying supplies to run the shop, paying your salary, etc.. What would be your response? I know mine. I would tell them the same thing I told the employer who paid me with a check that later bounced because he wanted to use the money to buy himself a new truck for the business. Take your damn job and shove up your arse. Of course I can't say that in the Marines. I pay my taxes because I'm supposed to. But NO ONE HAS YET to explain or show me any logic as to why a Govt/military/federal employee should pay federal taxes on their federal salary. And don't tell me our taxes are based on our income and that the source is irrelevant. You pay taxes in order to pay my federal salary. Why then should a federal employee pay his own salary? Look, my Father-in-law worked for the Bureau of Economic Analysis and Dept of Commerce for 30 years. Not only does he not have a logical explanation, he has asked the same friggin question of others with no logical answer. | ||
| Ray_maines |
Southernmarine: You're either not paying attention or you (and your father-in-law) just don't want to hear the answer. Income is income! The source of your income is irrelevant. We could argue the fairness of income tax and I would probably agree with you, but as the system stands now: Income is income. Get over it. | ||
| Sportsman |
Don't hold your breath for that fairtax.org system. People that don't pay taxes through corperate bull and misunderstood loopholes, make campaign contibutions to keep it the way it is. Silly man, you're still believeing the tax system should be fair and make sense. | ||
| Southernmarine |
income is income = because I said so federal taxes are collected in order to pay the salary of the federal employee, along with that golden hammer. Govt then turns around and takes a portion of that federal employees salary away from them in order to turn back around and use it to pay their salary again. That employee may or may not get his money back come tax return time. I see the answer others are giving, "income ins income", and I understand it. But it is not a logical answer, then again, when has our govt and the tax system been logical? Allowing the federal govt to take federal taxes from their employees is the equivalent to allowing a civilian company to pay their employee their $1800 check and then turn around and tell them they have to give $270 back to the company so that the company can pay their bills, invest it, and then use some of it to pay the employee's salary the next time (as I stated before). | ||
| Court |
Unless things have changed since I was on active USMC duty, the portion that goes to pay the salary of Marines is a sliver of what goes to repair potholes on I-70. Perhaps the argument now becomes, "how come they don't tax Marines more and let me, a 3P (professional pothole patcher) off the hook. Income is income may not be the BEST system but it is the only system that works. How, for instance would you handle my case...I leave New York City to work outside the United States each day? Why should I pay FEDERAL taxes when I don't work in this country? Don't get bogged down in the answer....like all conversations regarding taxes and religion, there is none. Court | ||
| Firebolt020283 |
yall could all come to iraq and not pay taxes | ||
| Mikej |
"On payday you look at your statement and find that your employer took !0-15% of your salary and told you it was for the upkeep of the building, buying supplies to run the shop, paying your salary, etc.. What would be your response? " I didn't know you worked where I do. That was exactly the reasons they gave us for any light salary adjustments over the last several years. I now use two or three or four paper towels in the washroom to dry my hands, I consider it my raise.  | ||
| Brucelee |
Lets see, you consume govt services, you have to pay for them. How you do it is subject to lots of rules and they are supposed to make sense and "be fair." They are not. Live with it. Specific to the issue, if you earn income, you pay taxes. How tough it that to understand and why would you question it? Irrespective of the income, why would you expect a take home pay raise because you work for Uncle Sam? | ||
| Brucelee |
"Allowing the federal govt to take federal taxes from their employees is the equivalent to allowing a civilian company to pay their employee their $1800 check and then turn around and tell them they have to give $270 back to the company so that the company can pay their bills, invest it, and then use some of it to pay the employee's salary the next time (as I stated before)." If a company was providing a broad array of lifetime benfits to this employee and to OTHER EMPLOYEES (read SS and the like) it would make total sense to do this. In fact, in some companies that provide things like housing etc. the company does take money from the employee checks as compensation. Or, it is declared income and taxed as such. | ||
| Hootowl |
Court, I am ALL FOR paying Texas. Specifically, ME. OK everybody send me a dollar! | ||
| Blake |
What's your address? | ||
| Hootowl |
I accept paypal at my profile address |
