Which half are you? Pay or recieve?

[shrubber]

Half the country now pays and the other half recieves.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Nearly-half-of-US-households-apf-1105567323.html?x=0&.v=1

Poll coming
( please keep the comments nice )

 

[MushyMushy]

Ugh, pay pay pay.

 

[Darsa]

My DH and I make sure that the taxes taken from each paycheck will cover our state and federal taxes, because one year we didn't, and it was a royal disaster. We get a little back each year, and that's okay with us; I'd rather have overpaid than underpaid!

Interestingly, my sister-in-law (who has 2 kids) who doesn't work and gets all kinds of governmental assistance, gets many THOUSANDS back each year... I don't get it, probably never will, because I feel it would be rude of me to ask her.

 

[Robinrs]

Half the country now pays and the other half recieves.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Nearly-half-of-US-households-apf-1105567323.html?x=0&.v=1

Poll coming
( please keep the comments nice )

I'm SURE they will be

 

[MIGrandma]

We always pay, every year.

With farming there is nothing withheld. DH also does crop insurance adjusting, and they do withhold some from his checks so we don't have to pay as much as we used to, but we still pay.

 

[dislaney]

Wish we were in the other half. Pay, Pay, and Pay again.

 

[NeverlandClub23]

I pay, but not much thankfully. No house, no kids, no husband .

 

[Aimeedyan]

We pay. A lot. Tax season is not a happy time for me.

 

[Acklander]

Wish we were in the other half. Pay, Pay, and Pay again.

I pay as well, but I don't wish I lived in the other half.

 

[happygirl]

I get money back. I don't think that makes me evil

 

[mamacatnv]

I get money back. I don't think that makes me evil

Unless you get ALL your money back, you would be in the pay category

 

[SAHDad]

I get money back. I don't think that makes me evil

Well, the question is not whether or not you get money back - lots of people get refunds. (A refund is really just the gov't paying back all the extra money that you were so kind to overpay during the course of the year - in essence, if you get a refund, you are being repaid on an interest-free loan.) The question is whether you are in the half of the county which receives a full refund (or more, with EITC) - thus paying no federal income tax.

We get a refund, but we still pay plenty.

 

[shrubber]

Unless you get ALL your money back, you would be in the pay category

A lot of people get back way more than they had withheld

 

[brasswillow]

I would be benefited by an "other" option. I paid the state and got a little bit back from the federal.

 

[hrh_disney_queen]

I pay as well, but I don't wish I lived in the other half.

I was thinking the same thing.\



I took this as paying income taxes or not paying them, nothing to do with a refund.

 

[Mermaid02]

We receive federally but pay the state.

 

[Carly_Roach]

The poll is skewed. If you're talking about taxes in general, then we pay taxes. Every single year, regardless of our income, we're paying taxes. SS, unemployment, etc. Everyone who works pays those taxes whether they can afford to do so or not.

If you're talking about income taxes, then we, as a couple, are breaking even. We don't pay more than we have to and take what few deductions we're allowed to take (people with children get more deductions). We got a refund this year, but it wasn't much.

The fact that 50% (or more) of the population who broke even or didn't have to pay speaks to the issue of most of America being below the average income. If you had to pay taxes this month, chances are that you're making far more than the average American is making and I can't feel too sorry for you.

 

[eliza61]

Half the country now pays and the other half recieves.
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/Nearly-half-of-US-households-apf-1105567323.html?x=0&.v=1

Poll coming
( please keep the comments nice )

Good luck with that. I'm predicting a very quick decent into the usual, I'm paying taxes for all the lazy bums out there on welfare and collecting food stamps.

 

[Carly_Roach]

Good luck with that. I'm predicting a very quick decent into the usual, I'm paying taxes for all the lazy bums out there on welfare and collecting food stamps.

Me too.

 

[Nancyg56]

The fact that 50% (or more) of the population who broke even or didn't have to pay speaks to the issue of most of America being below the average income. If you had to pay taxes this month, chances are that you're making far more than the average American is making and I can't feel too sorry for you.

I respectfully must disagree with you. We pay and we pay and we pay. We are not making so much money that I am grateful that my family makes enough to be able to pay higher taxes than I can ever remember having to pay. I wonder if part of the reason that 1/2 of the country is paying taxes while the other 1/2 is not has something to do with the way the tax code is structured. I find it fundamentally unfair that some carry more of the burden than others. While I do not think that everyone should pay an equal amount I do think that everyone should contribute. I know that we are fortunate to have a steady living income, I have no problem paying taxes to help support those whose income is not enough to live on. And honestly, after all of the taxes are taken from my DH paycheck......we are NOT making far more than anyone.