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Very true. As a single person I pay federal income tax and property tax 3 times higher than my cost of living expenses.
Federal income tax in 2015 $ 18,597.
Property tax 2016-residence $ 5,253
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Total taxes paid $23,850
**This tax amount does not include other taxes like sales, tax, motor vehicle taxes and licenses, and other taxes listed on all our telephone bills, etc.
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Annual cost of food estimate $ 2,000
Personal-Clothing $ 1,000
Housing, utilities/clean/maintenance $ 4,000
Mortgage-none-home fully paid 0
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Total annual cost of living $ 7,000
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Differ. of taxes paid, versus living expenses $16,850
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The sad fact is that the taxes paid by you and me, go to feed the handouts, illegal aliens, including Muslims and Muslim terrorists, rapists, drug addicts/dealers, who demand that we must not wear Jesus Cross because it offends them.

These people are big and strong,mostly liberals and democrats.

Those ignorant young men and women, on the streets were asked if they agree with Hillary Clinton to allow Sharia Law. They all agreed to allow Sharia law in our country for diversity. And they said that they all love and like Hillary, despite of her crime addictions, lies, and fraud.

This indicates that about 90% of our people roaming around the streets are ignorant and stupid, about the issues. Yet we feed all of them. They do not feel the pain of earning anything because President Obama gives them our tax money. The socialist Clinton Hilary, and Bernie Sanders are luring their votes with a promise for a free load, free college tuition. The Pope like Bernie Sanders. In fact it was reported that Sanders was invited by Pope Francis.

I earned my college degree by working and studying at the same time. But currently, these millennials have easy ways of getting their college degrees without sweating it out. Many of them major women's studies, and ethnic studies.

Jesus said like this: No pain, no gain. But they don't know Jesus also. That is why they like Sharia Law.

I'm glad you have your house paid off but that isn't how tax burden is figured. The average price of an a one bedroom apartment in the city is $1193.44 and outside of the city it is $896.45. That works out to $14,321.28 and $10,757.40 so your total costs would be $31,171.28 or $27,607.40. Also, transportation averages 10% of the average salary--that would be fuel, repairs, and payment--you've shown nothing.

Even without a transportation expense your living expenses are more than your taxes. At best you are being disingenuous. At worst you are like Little Balls and an out right liar--I'll leave it to you to decide which one you are. And I do like how you snipe at people who use grants to go to college. I did--both pell and state scholarships--and I make no apologies to no one because today my quarterly's alone will repay government for what it cost.

You are a petty little asswipe. I don't know when you went to college but when I went in the 70's, a semester at a state school cost me $220 and books ran about the same. I worked 30 hours a week as a waiter to pay for my room and board but even if I had to pay all my own tuition it would have been near the burden it is today. Today my state schools start about 7K a semester, books well over 1K and about the same for food and housing. Do you think anyone can pay that working for minimum wage? Get a life. Stop comparing others to you when you clearly aren't representative of what the average person would face today. Another fine example of Christianity--you and little balls really should form a club....

Don't believe anyone that advocates taxing the rich more, be them dem or repub. There are so many loopholes the rich can use to offset much of any increase.

Closing loopholes the rich use to eliminate or at least reduce their taxes. In 2013, federal income tax rates for those making more than $400,000 went from 35 percent to 39.6 percent for ordinary income, and capital gains taxes went from 15 percent to 20 percent. But in 2013 those in that bracket only paid an effective rate of 22.89%. On average, according to one report, the below-$100,000 taxpayers paid 35 percent of their taxable income in taxes (income and payroll).

For starters:

The capital gains taxes should be the same as income tax rates.

ALL incomes should be subject to the Social Security tax, not just those under $118,000 (or whatever it is now).

Federal income taxes are not the only taxes to be considered. I find it truly ingenuous for those that claim that the rich pay most of the taxes. They do NOT as a % of their incomes when ALL taxes are taken into consideration.

Who is hit hardest by taxes, such as state sales taxes, fuel taxes, excise taxes? The poor and middle classes. Those types of taxes are regressive.

The report includes these main findings:

• Virtually every state tax system is fundamentally unfair, taking a much greater share of income from low- and middle-income families than from wealthy families. The absence of a graduated personal income tax and overreliance on consumption taxes exacerbate this problem.

• The lower one’s income, the higher one’s overall effective state and local tax rate. Combining all state and local income, property, sales and excise taxes that Americans pay, the nationwide average effective state and local tax rates by income group are 10.9 percent for the poorest 20 percent of individuals and families, 9.4 percent for the middle 20 percent and 5.4 percent for the top 1 percent.

• In the 10 states with the most regressive tax structures (the Terrible 10) the bottom 20 percent pay up to seven times as much of their income in taxes as their wealthy counterparts. Washington State is the most regressive, followed by Florida, Texas, South Dakota, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Ari­zona, Kansas, and Indiana.

• Heavy reliance on sales and excise taxes are characteristics of the most regressive state tax systems. Six of the 10 most regressive states derive roughly half to two-thirds of their tax revenue from sales and excise taxes, compared to a national average of roughly one-third . Five of these states do not levy a broad-based personal income tax (four do not have any taxes on personal income and one state only applies its personal income tax to interest and dividends) while four have a personal income tax rate structure that is flat or virtually flat.

• State personal income taxes are typically more progressive than the other taxes that states levy (e.g property, consumption). Sales and excise taxes are the most regressive, with poor families paying almost eight times more of their income in these taxes than wealthy families, and middle income families pay­ing five times more. Property taxes are typically regressive as well, but less so than sales and excise taxes.

• Personal income taxes vary in fairness due to differences in rates, deductions, and exemptions across states. For example, the Earned Income Tax Credit improves progressivity in 25 states and the District of Columbia, while nine states undermine progressivity by allowing taxpayers to pay a reduced rate on capital gains income, which primarily benefits higher-income households.

• State consumption tax structures are highly regressive with an average 7 percent rate on sales and excise taxes for the poor, a 4.7 percent rate for middle-income people, and a 0.8 percent rate for the wealthiest taxpayers. Because food is one of the largest expenses for low-income families, taxing food is particularly regressive; five of the ten most regressive states tax food at the state or local level.

• Taxes on personal and business property are a significant revenue source for both states and locali­ties and are generally regressive in their overall effect, particularly for middle-income households. A homestead exemption (exempting a flat dollar or percentage amount of property value from a property tax) lessens regressivity. A property tax circuit breaker that caps the amount a property owner pays in property taxes based on their personal income can also reduce regressivity; none of the 10 most regres­sive states offer this tax break to low-income families of all ages.

• States commended as “low tax” are often high tax states for low- and middle-income families. The 10 states with the highest taxes on the poor are Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington. Seven of these are also among the “terrible ten” because they are not only high tax for the poorest, but low tax for the wealthiest.

http://www.itep.org/whopays/full_report.php

Sorry. I was working off my pad and didn't have time to correct the autocorrect.

A national sales tax is only considered 'regressive' because a higher % of poor people's income goes to necessities, IOW expenses that one cannot live without (leaving a smaller % of their income to be spent on luxury items such as cigarettes, liquor, prostitutes, and yachts). If you don't tax those items needed for survival and raise the tax on items not necessary to live, then the tax becomes progressive because the rich spend a higher % on their income on non-necessities than do the poor.

Simple math.

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Peter s, here is what we were talking about.
"Americans Pay More in Taxes than Food, Clothing and Housing Combined."
No other else, and I answered based on the topic.

So, what I've written on costs were for Food, Clothing, and Housing only based on the topic presented.

Topic also mentioned about the tax, that was why I reported tax the I paid. Nothing else.

I am not going to present my 1040 because that was not the topic we are talking about.
If I have to detail my IRS 1040, there are several schedules and several pages. Total sources of income and total itemized deductions, to arrive at my net taxable income. There are the Schedules A and B, Schedule E, for my rental home. Several sources of income several tax deferred compensations, plus the 403b, and IRA, and employer retirement plans. But 85% of the Social Security that I received is taxed. Combining all those papers, there is almost 3/4 inch thick of paper works on my tax return. I presented with comparative figures with the prior year.

Other details of expenses deducted were long term capital losses, when I sold some of my stocks at a loss.

Fortunately, both my residence and another rental homes were fully paid. So, I don't pay mortgage or any interest expense anymore.

I am probably a lot older than you are Peter. But to be honest, when I was in college until I retired, I was frugal.
Perhaps because I grew up from a poor family. My father died I was only 7 years old. But mother trained me be responsible and to love God. That is why I don't want to use bad language. There are times when I'm attacked viciously here at OPP, I am tempted to say things. But I always want to stay away from those nasty mouthed people.

I hope you good luck Peter S. We don't need to attack each other. You don't know me. We are all Americans, we struggled hard to make our country great, though with different philosophies in life. Everyone differs from one another. I did not compare anyone with anybody. What I've written was relevant to the topic mentioned.
Good night.

I'm not questioning the numbers you posted but the way in which you represented them. Few people have their house paid off and, if included as it should have been, it is a major expense that is 30% or more of income. And the author left off transportation which can easily be 500 or more a month and 15% to 20% of income. With just those two items the numbers we should be looking at are 50% or more.

Americans only pay more in taxes if you are disingenuous with your numbers. If you and the author were being honest few people pay more in taxes than expenses and those who do seldom see their quality of life change because of the taxes they pay. And frugal or not, you are being dishonest in what you say.

And one other point--we can never make our country great by lying to try to make our points. None of like to pay taxes and few of us like the government but it does no one any good to misrepresent the actual burden taxes place on us. Be honest in how you represent yourself and you will never have a problem with me. Represent yourself in a manor I know you are not and I will call you on it every time.

I'm not questioning the numbers you posted but the way in which you represented them. Few people have their house paid off and, if included as it should have been, it is a major expense that is 30% or more of income. And the author left off transportation which can easily be 500 or more a month and 15% to 20% of income. With just those two items the numbers we should be looking at are 50% or more.

Americans only pay more in taxes if you are disingenuous with your numbers. If you and the author were being honest few people pay more in taxes than expenses and those who do seldom see their quality of life change because of the taxes they pay. And frugal or not, you are being dishonest in what you say.

And one other point--we can never make our country great by lying to try to make our points. None of like to pay taxes and few of us like the government but it does no one any good to misrepresent the actual burden taxes place on us. Be honest in how you represent yourself and you will never have a problem with me. Represent yourself in a manor I know you are not and I will call you on it every time.