Hidden Taxes

10 HIDDEN TAXES YOU ARE PROBABLY PAYING...
Washington's Hidden Taxes
Brian Wingfield, 07.25.07, 6:00 AM ET

Washington, D.C. -
There is an old joke--attributed, of course, to Mark Twain--about the difference between a taxidermist and a tax collector: The taxidermist takes only your skin.

But of all the fees levied by the notorious taxman, the most unpopular are those that are hidden. We don't mean the frustrating taxes you see added to the end of your cellphone bill at the end of each month (though those can be maddening). We're talking about those that are simply not apparent to the average consumer.

In Pictures: 10 Hidden Taxes You're Probably Paying

Take, for example, the gasoline tax. Ever scratched your head wondering how much Uncle Sam is taking when gas prices spike? The answer (regardless of price fluctuations): 18.4 cents on every gallon that you purchase. When coupled with state and local taxes and fees, the average American pays 45.8 cents per gallon in gas taxes alone, according to the American Petroleum Institute, the industry group that represents big oil companies. That's about 15% of the current nationwide average price of gas, $3.06 per gallon.

But excise taxes like the gas tax aren't the only place for taxes to be secreted away. A favorite hiding place is the tax code itself. In fact, in her annual report to Congress last year, IRS National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson said lack of transparency in the tax system was among the most serious problems encountered by taxpayers.

"[T]he IRS sometimes updates its procedures and guidance without [in a timely manner] making them available to the public," her report said. No wonder so many people are confused about how much they owe.

For more click on:
10 HIDDEN TAXES

DEDICATED IRAQ REPORTER WARNS OF WHITE HOUSE SPIN

Could the Bush administration be invoking the ominous specter of al-Qaida—and suggesting the extremist group is gathering strength and preparing to strike—for political reasons? CNN’s Baghdad correspondent Michael Ware says Americans should watch out for rhetorical sleight of hand from the White House concerning the current threat level and the newly unveiled National Intelligence Estimate.

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The Raw Story:

“That statement in the NIE is about three years too late,” Ware responded. “Al Qaeda has reorganized itself through the war in Iraq that America handed it on a silver platter in its own backyard. ... The war here ... has energized the jihadi community across the globe.” Ware asserted that “Iraq veterans” among foreign terrorists “are creating a whole new momentum back in their homelands,” but said that “the true danger of al Qaeda in Iraq is the template or the model it offers” even to those who have never been to Iraq.

Equally quick to insist that the NIE should not be taken too literally, Ware said, “We must be aware of the spin, the smoke and mirrors from the administration, trying to reshape the message on Iraq being specifically about al Qaeda ... trying to evoke some Pavlovian response from the American public to fear them into again supporting the war. That doesn’t quite hold water.”

For more click here.

Technorati tag: Iraq

BUSH GOVERNMENT TO POOR VOTERS: WE DON'T WANT YOU TO VOTE

By Steven Rosenfeld, AlterNet

The Justice Department is pressuring 10 states to purge
their voter rolls, while states are ignoring laws to help
low-income Americans register to vote.

For more click on: http://www.alternet.org/rights/56957/

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Fed up with the government? Why not call the president and your local politicians and let them know your opinions, OK?
Find their numbers here: http://www.congress.org/

Technorati tag: voters