Feeding The Animal House

The only day that is dreaded more than April 15^th is October 15^th. This is the last chance day for those of us that, for one reason or another, were unable to file our taxes in the spring. This is the day that we have been hoping that would, somehow, never come or that the calendar would just simply skip a day. And for some of us it is not just a day of inconvenience, it is a day when we take on an additional financial burden (some greater than others).  

Every day that passes and every hour I sit at my desk, I know that I will never receive my full salary for that day. It is the price we are forced to pay, and pay, and pay again in the seemingly infinite deductions that are pried from our pockets to fund things that we would never support on our own. Don’t get me wrong, there are many things that we must contribute something to, but there are many, many things that we should not be forced to pay.

This happens each and every day as we watch about a quarter of our salary evaporate (for some it is a much higher percentage). However, it doesn't end there as when we finally get that money in our pocket it continues to be chipped away throughout the day as we are forced to pay more taxes… service, sales, gas, real estate, etc. Given all of these tax attacks, it is safe to say that the average person loses about 40-50% of their pay just to taxes. The remainder, of course, has to cover all the costs of living including the bloated Obamacare costs that have recently latched on to our wallets.

If we see a few extra dollars in our bank account at the end of the year we feel as though we might have won that round. However, the government has one final punch to throw to see if it can take us down. While many take it on the chin and get it over with as soon as possible but there are a few of us that duck and weave until we can no longer put it off. For most, more than anyone would care to admit, this final poaching is what takes us down and determines our losses for the year. This is where we find ourselves now… trying to get up before the referee counts to 10. Next year, another round, and more money being sent to the animal house to never be heard from again!