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Show I Tax Time Provides Study Impetus: (Utahns Pay One Third to Tax Coffers I Nearly a third of the personal Income received by Individuals In Utah went for taxes in I960, according to a year-end review of governmental activities prepared pre-pared by Utah Foundation, the private governmental research organization. I The Foundation study shows that Utahns paid a total of $525 million In Federal, state and local lo-cal taxes during the 1960 fiscal year. Total taxes paid by Utahns amounted to $121 million In 1950 and $51 million In 1910. j I Taxes in 1960 were equal to nearly $600 for every man, woman wo-man and child residing In the state. Thus, for an average family fam-ily of four persons, the tax burden bur-den amounted to nearly $2,400 in 1960. I Although Income levels in Utah ihave nearly doubled since 1950, the Foundation observes that taxes are taking an Increased proportion of the higher incomes. In 1960 approximately 32.3r of the total personal Income of Individuals In-dividuals In Utah went for tax-est tax-est (both direct and hidden . By contrast, the relative tax hur-den hur-den was 25.9 in 1950, 20.2 in jl9:0, and 11.9 In 1930. I Foundation analysts point out .that government not only takes j the largest share of the personal expenditure dollar, but conversely converse-ly is also the largest single supplier sup-plier of personal Income In Utah. More persons in Utah are employed em-ployed by government (Federal, state, and local) than by any other segment of the State's economy. eco-nomy. In June, i960, there were 61,796 persons working for some governmental unit in Utah. This is equal to 23 of the total non-'agricullural non-'agricullural work force of 270,000 In the State. In addition, there are many, others who are cm- ployed by private concerns which deal primarily in governmental contract work. The study shows that Federal taxes accounted for $331 million or 63 of the 1960 tax loud in Utah, while state and local taxes tax-es were equal to $194 million or 37 of the total. This is almost a direct reversal of the situation that prevailed In 1940 when 69 of the total tax burden resulted from state and local taxes and only 31 for Federal taxes. I According to the Foundation . study, most of this shift in emphasis em-phasis to the Federal Government Govern-ment occurred during the war years of the 1940's when Feder- al taxes and expenditures ex-j jpanded greatly. Within recent years, however, the rate of growth in state and local taxes has been greater than that of the Federal government. Since 1955, state and local taxes In Utah have increased 66, compared com-pared with a 45 rise In the Federal Fed-eral tax burden. I I As expected, education Is the number one expenditure item lor state and local government ira Utah. The Foundation reports; that Utah spent $131.1 million for education (local schools, colleges and other) in fiscal 196a This represents an Increase of $12.2 million, or 10 during the yeajv Educational expenditures In Utati have trebled in the past decade and have multiplied more than eight and a half times wlthlm the past 20 years. Part of the rise? is accounted for by enrollment Increases and reduced purchasing purchas-ing power of the dollar, j Welfare expenditures increase cB moderately In Utah during 1960. according to the study. Utah continues con-tinues to provide grants that are-above are-above the U. S. average for most categories of public assistance. The Foundation reports that highway spending declined some in 1960 as a result of the 1959 cutback of the scheduled Federal highway aid program. Despite-this Despite-this fact, highway expenditure in Utah during 1960 still were nearly two and a half time above the 1955 level and nearly ; four times that for 1950. |