Our government? No, never! Not even in Wisconsin, one of the states with the biggest tax burden in the country. And it’s no wonder… the state was started by Socialists and continues to be overrun by lefties.

Seriously – hidden taxes are everywhere and an article on MSN gives us some of the gory details. We all know about certain taxes like those on fuel, tobacco and alcohol. But there are many less visible taxes that many people don’t even think about. The article lists some:

  • Gambling winnings taxed as ordinary income
  • Premiums on employer-funded life insurance greater than $50,000 are taxed
  • Certain items that are imported – included on the list are bicycles, hammocks, peanut butter, and brooms

How expensive does this get? A government study estimates that consumers pay $400 million to $1.9 billion each year because of subsidies to the sugar industry.

Taxes are applied to all sorts of things like passengers on boats on certain waterways, airline travel, children’s vaccinations, the portion of a college scholarship that pays for room and board.

Why do these taxes get assessed? It’s one way for the government to take our money, and it’s also a way for them to control behavior. In essence, taxes may encourage or discourage certain behavior and may give certain industries competitive advantages. How’s that for government deciding how we should live our lives?

Hat tip: Wenchypoo. Great blog… check it out!

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