Show Taxes a Burden Where are tax dollars coming from and what are they going towards By Zachary Todd Staff Writer Of lifes life's two certainties taxes can often seem worse than death The average Utah family is keenly keenly keenly keen keen- ly aware of this because 28 of its income goes to pay federal state and local taxes this according according according accord accord- ing to an annual study conducted by the Utah Taxpayers Association Perhaps the most disturbing tax trend of late is the widespread presence of hidden taxes that can seemingly be at every turn These hidden taxes are often imposed on businesses but can pervade through the economy impacting investors employees and customers According to the survey Utah businesses pay 42 percent of all property taxes 34 percent of all sales taxes 10 percent of all state income taxes and percent of all severance and unemployment insurance taxes These numbers affect the economy significantly Our incomes are the most heavily heavily heavily ily taxed but so too are our properties properties properties prop prop- our purchases our cell phones our cars ars and the list goes goeson on and on Furthermore the 28 percent per family amount doesn't doesn't doesn't does does- nt include hidden taxes which are often lost in the complicated morass surrounding tax issues At times to the citizen taxes and their origins and purposes can be belike belike belike like a magic trick where the hand is indeed quicker than the eye Next to employment taxes which equal 76 percent of all taxes are the sums taken for Social Security and Medicare which amount to 71 percent of all total taxes These two staples are followed by federal income taxes state income taxes sales and excise taxes property taxes and auto taxes This list is daunting daunting daunting daunt daunt- ing but not comprehensive Tax battles can be heated and andare andare andare are often exacerbated by a lack of general knowledge about taxes and their intended purposes School District hearings are common common cornmon com corn mon battlegrounds At one recent hearing the Provo School District proposed and enacted the largest rate increase of any Utah school district district district-a a whopping 57 percent or 3 million District officials argued that funds had been deficient for several years and the budget needed to be bal bal- bal bal- Over one hundred Provo residents attended the meeting and offered significant opposition opposition opposition tion to the proposal The district had the option to close some schools due to declining enrollment and to sell school owned property in lieu of the increase But some requested their taxes be increased because they felt their children who attended Provo schools would benefit See Taxes on pg 5 Taxes axes continued from pg 2 On the surface tax increases f for r education seems a no But often the actual appropriation tion trumps any worthiness and shifting numbers can cloud minds and intentions good-intentions alike For instance in Wasatch County the school district held a Truth- Truth Taxation in-Taxation hearing proposing a 34 percent rate increase The district claimed the increase was justified because the tax rate despite the increase would still be below the state average The Taxpayers Association reminded the district their valuation per student was 76 percent above the state average thus a rate 43 percent percent percent per per- cent less would still generate revenues revenues revenues rev rev- per student concurrent with the state average These financial chess games are com com- in the shifting tax world and much can be said for watch-groups watch and informed citi citi- citi- citi zens Ultimately the reasons for battle battle battle bat bat- tle are simple money is needed for everything and the most sympathetic ear is often lent to the schools But sadly not all school related tax increases go directly to education Such was the case in Logan where funds were diverted from the Logan School District to subsidize city redevelopment projects These practices undermine the virtues of taxation giving the citizenry a false impression of governments government's ability to handle revenue Taxes are not going away any time soon nor should they but the appropriation and handling of these hard-earned hard funds must be bea a constant concern for all t O |