What is the rael tax rate in the US?

[magomago]

So I went to get my car smogged today and I passed without a problem; It was required to update my registration. Then I started writing a good ol check to the wonderful DMV. Then I started to think about how this is essentially a tax on my car: I am paying the state to allow me to continue to drive my car which I bought in full. If I don't pay them money, I can't drive.

Then I thought about the $$$$ I lose to income tax. Then I thought about the $$$ I lose to sales tax (if you live in a state with only one of the other you don't need to show off because you aren't much better off, assuming you are even better off in the first place). Then I thought about the extra taxes on smaller things: ciggarettes (I don't smoke but it came to my mind), gasoline (well, not really 'small' at all), etc. Then we have property taxes in many places.

So I'm really curious what the real tax rate is...probably a mix of percentages of income with raw dollar amounts depending on how much a consumer one is. Makes me feel like I wouldn't be surprised if the Govt was getting maybe 40-50% of the income once its all said and done.


Note: Spelling error is intentional.

 

[Barnaby W. Füi]

It would vary between people based on a lot of factors, but a lazy googling yields 40% (overall) as a rough estimate.

But those taxes pay for the roads you drive on and the military force that secures the fuel to power your car, and some of the medical costs for the people harmed by air pollution and car crashes. Our auto-centric lifestyle is incredibly expensive. We should tax gas a lot more than we do. It's artificially cheap compared to the damage it wreaks.

 

[Newbian]

I have no idea what the "Rael tax" is...

 

[magomago]

It would vary between people based on a lot of factors, but a lazy googling yields 40% (overall) as a rough estimate.

But those taxes pay for the roads you drive on and the military force that secures the fuel to power your car, and some of the medical costs for the people harmed by air pollution and car crashes. Our auto-centric lifestyle is incredibly expensive. We should tax gas a lot more than we do. It's artificially cheap compared to the damage it wreaks.

I never said that the money is wasted or is not wasted. I am simply asking about the actual tax rate. I would be curious to see the total real tax rate (or even an average) of many countries compared....

 

[lxskllr]

I'd be interested in seeing what the complete cost of taxes are on an item, lets say a car. From raw materials, to finished product, with all the taxing stages in between. I bet it's a lot.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Here's a list of countries by tax take as a percentage of GDP. Not the same as tax per earnings, but more useful from a macroeconomic perspective. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_revenue_as_percentage_of_GDP

USA: 28.2%

edit: Also keep in mind this is tax, which doesn't include levies for services eg car registration fees.

 

[dammitgibs]

Here's a list of countries by tax take as a percentage of GDP. Not the same as tax per earnings, but more useful from a macroeconomic perspective. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_revenue_as_percentage_of_GDP

USA: 28.2%

edit: Also keep in mind this is tax, which doesn't include levies for services eg car registration fees.

Timor-Leste takes 109%

 

[lxskllr]

Timor-Leste takes 109%

You don't want to know where that 9% comes from :^O :^P

 

[ShawnD1]

I'd be interested in seeing what the complete cost of taxes are on an item, lets say a car. From raw materials, to finished product, with all the taxing stages in between. I bet it's a lot.

You should see how horrendous Britain is. You can expect to pay several thousand dollars in sales tax when you get even the cheapest car like a Honda Fit (Jazz).

 

[Lonyo]

You should see how horrendous Britain is. You can expect to pay several thousand dollars in sales tax when you get even the cheapest car like a Honda Fit (Jazz).

The tax on the car is 17.5%.
And then you get to pay road tax, tax and duty on the fuel you buy, but then... we don't have to pay for medical insurance and things like that.

Looking at tax is all very well and good, but it's meaningless when you don't include what said tax pays for.

 

[ShawnD1]

The tax on the car is 17.5%.
And then you get to pay road tax, tax and duty on the fuel you buy, but then... we don't have to pay for medical insurance and things like that.

Looking at tax is all very well and good, but it's meaningless when you don't include what said tax pays for.

Canada has free healthcare too but we don't pay 17.5% sales tax.

 

[GodlessAstronomer]

Here's a list of countries by tax take as a percentage of GDP. Not the same as tax per earnings, but more useful from a macroeconomic perspective. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_tax_revenue_as_percentage_of_GDP

USA: 28.2%

edit: Also keep in mind this is tax, which doesn't include levies for services eg car registration fees.

Damn, we get raped.

 

[BarkingGhostar]

It would vary between people based on a lot of factors, but a lazy googling yields 40% (overall) as a rough estimate.

But those taxes pay for the roads you drive on and the military force that secures the fuel to power your car, and some of the medical costs for the people harmed by air pollution and car crashes. Our auto-centric lifestyle is incredibly expensive. We should tax gas a lot more than we do. It's artificially cheap compared to the damage it wreaks.

They mostly pay for idiot politician salaries as we watch the roads and highways crumble.

 

[AndroidVageta]

They mostly pay for idiot politician salaries as we watch the roads and highways crumble.

This...like, really...so many roads where I live are just in shambles...

I believe that taxes ARE needed but feel that maybe a fraction of the money is actually used for its intended purpose...

Wasnt there a story not too long ago when some state opened up a BRAND NEW library, cost like 12 million dollars or some shit only to completely shut it down like 2 weeks later? Do all of you feel the tax money was spend well there?

And the amount we are taxed on shit is pretty insane...government is too irresponsible with money...so instead of taxing less and spending SMART they chose to rape the citizens and just spend the money all willy nilly like on useless shit.

You have no idea how many people in the government get paid off to do shit and how many contracts the government has with corporations that do absolutely zilch...

I know that at my last job I was getting paid roughly $500 a week and like $150 of that was taken out from taxes...like really? Does the government REALLY think that I couldnt have used fucking 25% of the money that I WORKED FOR to help myself??? They wonder why people arent spending anymore...maybe cause the Man is taking all our spending money...

 

[Mike Gayner]

Damn, we get raped.

You're looking at it the wrong way. Do this: sort the list by the percentage of tax paid. Notice how (with the exception of some outliers) generally speaking countries which are considered highly desirable top the list (Scandinavia, France, Netherlands etc) while countries which are generally considered undesirable have the lowest tax take (Kuwait, Qatar, Mexico, Phillipines).

Total tax take is just one of many metrics to consider when building an economic picture - wouldn't you be happy to pay 90% tax if it meant your standard of living was peerless and you had an easy, productive and happy life? Of course that's a fantasy, but it's silly to judge your country or anyone else's simply on the tax take - it's a factor which should be weighed against other factors.

NZ has a relatively high tax take, but it's also a small country that requires a lot of infrastructure per person and per square km. But it's also a wealthy, prosperous, hi-tech and healthy country, so it's hard to complain too loudly.

 

[AndroidVageta]

... But it's also a wealthy, prosperous, hi-tech and healthy country, so it's hard to complain too loudly.

The US is not...especially the healthy part...we are a dying horse...useless...

 

[Mike Gayner]

I believe that taxes ARE needed but feel that maybe a fraction of the money is actually used for its intended purpose....

That's really not true. There's a lot of bureaucratic waste, yes, but generally speaking politicians salaries etc are a small fraction of public spending. The reason America's infrastructure is crumbling is because Americans for some reason think that they can constantly demand tax cuts and subsidies while simultaneously expecting increases in welfare and public spending. Unfortunately it's just not possible.

 

[AndroidVageta]

That's really not true. There's a lot of bureaucratic waste, yes, but generally speaking politicians salaries etc are a small fraction of public spending. The reason America's infrastructure is crumbling is because Americans for some reason think that they can constantly demand tax cuts and subsidies while simultaneously expecting increases in welfare and public spending. Unfortunately it's just not possible.

Ehhh...Im not convinced...I mean, look at the "war" in Iraq...we spend countless billions of tax dollars to send all this shit over there like troops, tanks, vehicles, bigass ships and carriers, jets, helicopters, weapons, munitions and after 10 years we have NOTHING to actually show for it...money wasted...we are fighting "terrorists" (I hate that word) that have little to no money (maybe a few million overall) that run around in rags and old AK-47's and they seem to being their job well, as in they arent letting us get shit done, overall, and they arent using jets and tanks and body armor, etc...

So yes, some tax money is being spent well and where its needed, while shit like the above, money that could be going into making a better economy, health care system, education...is basically BLOWN on worthless shit that isnt making a damn bit of difference.

I mean, we can agree to disagree, but when it comes right down to it, its the truth...Ive known a few soldiers (Marines) that feel exactly like I do as this shit has more or less came from their mouths as well...and I feel that they would know a little more about this shit then us US citizens...let alone those from other countries...

 

[Mike Gayner]

Ehhh...Im not convinced...I mean, look at the "war" in Iraq...we spend countless billions of tax dollars to send all this shit over there like troops, tanks, vehicles, bigass ships and carriers, jets, helicopters, weapons, munitions and after 10 years we have NOTHING to actually show for it...money wasted...we are fighting "terrorists" (I hate that word) that have little to no money (maybe a few million overall) that run around in rags and old AK-47's and they seem to being their job well, as in they arent letting us get shit done, overall, and they arent using jets and tanks and body armor, etc...

Yeah but your original point was that tax dollars aren't making it to their intended purpose - but in this case the intended purpose is to kill durkas, so in that case you're still wrong. Just because your government (and by extension the idiots who voted for them) are profligate, corrupt brain-dead morons doesn't mean your original premise holds true.

I mean, we can agree to disagree, but when it comes right down to it, its the truth...Ive known a few soldiers (Marines) that feel exactly like I do as this shit has more or less came from their mouths as well...and I feel that they would know a little more about this shit then us US citizens...let alone those from other countries...

Yeah, I'm gonna go ahead and rely on my own knowledge in economics rather than take lessons from a Marine. Or anyone in the US military.

 

[JimmiG]

You may own your car, but you don't own the roads, the other cars that you share them with, the land or air surrounding the roads etc. Stuff has to be maintained and rules need to be in place to keep roads reasonably safe. That needs to be financed somehow. If there were no taxes, who would pay to make sure drivers are qualified and respect traffic rules, vehicles are roadworthy and the roads drivable?

Damn, we get raped.

Sweden 49.7 48.2 48.9

Kind of amazing that we're still almost at the top of the list considering our current government won the 2006 elections by promising tax cuts.

 

[Mike Gayner]

Kind of amazing that we're still almost at the top of the list considering our current government won the elections by promising tax cuts.

The only way to win elections in the USA is to promise things that are completely unachievable.

 

[allisolm]

Tax Freedom Day with list of individual state days.

26.89% (April 9) for the nation as a whole with individual states varying a bit.

Tax Freedom Day round the World with lists for other countries.

 

[grrl]

The only way to win elections in the USA is to promise things that are completely unachievable.

US politicians are not unique in that respect.

 

[dfuze]

Tax Freedom Day with list of individual state days.

26.89% (April 9) for the nation as a whole with individual states varying a bit.

Tax Freedom Day round the World with lists for other countries.

Hurray, my state is first... er, wait, that's not something you want to be first at...

 

[Jeff7]

I have no idea what the "Rael tax" is...

It's a tax imposed on crazy cults.