How Independent Is a Tax-Burdened American?

Americans may be working the equivalent of more than half a year just to meet their tax obligations. A professor of economics at the University of Michigan, Mark Perry, links to an Americans for Tax Reform paper celebrating Cost of Government Day. The “holiday” is an ironic celebration of the day on which “the average American worker has earned enough gross income to pay off his or her share of spending and regulatory burdens imposed by government on federal, state, and local levels.” This year, the date fell on July 16, meaning Americans for Tax Reform projects the average working American will toil 197 days this year just to meet the tax burden imposed by government.