3 ms·

> The amount of tax is equally useless to me. Not if you are voting someone in a political office in the next election.

by tgma 2y ago

amanaplanacanal 2y ago
Then you can look up how much the tax is when you are making your voting decision. This isn’t secret information.
- WalterBright 2y ago
  The government routinely hides what you're paying in taxes. Case in point - the so-called "Employer's Contribution" to your social security taxes. There's no such thing. That comes out of your pocket, too. This is because employers have no interest in what your paycheck amount is. They care about "total compensation", which is what it costs the employer to employ you. Seattle added some "payroll taxes" and successfully sold the fiction that it was the businesses paying it. The businesses did indeed write the check, but it was the employee's money.
  - taylorius 2y ago
    Indeed - UK the same. The government makes so much hay out of persuading the electorate that businesses are somehow entirely separate from them.
  - razakel 2y ago
    Do you really think people don't know that the tax deductions on their payslip are actually their money?
    - WalterBright 2y ago
      The "Employer's Contribution" is not listed as a deduction on the payslip.
    - tgma 2y ago
      Actually, no... At least not quite the same way. In the US, a lot of people think of tax day as a "good day" because they get a refund from the government! Psychologically it is very different if you steal the money before they even see it than take it from them once they have felt it under their tongue. Plus, I think the OP is referring to money that is technically paid by the employer but effectively passed through to the employee, because that's what happens, not some item on their payslip.
- tgma 2y ago
  I can look it up if I am already motivated, but it is much easier for me to convince you to take a collective political action if you feel the depth of the government's dong in your rear end every day.
chowells 2y ago
Nope. Don't care. I care about what effects the policies are having, not how much I pay in taxes. The impact of the policies is what actually matters. The tax rate is one tiny detail. I'm not wired to automatically assume collective action is evil, so I only care about it in the context of the effects of all policies combined.

> The amount of tax is equally useless to me. Not if you are voting someone in a political office in the next election.

by tgma 2y ago

> The amount of tax is equally useless to me. Not if you are voting someone in a political office in the next election.

amanaplanacanal 2y ago

Then you can look up how much the tax is when you are making your voting decision. This isn’t secret information.

WalterBright 2y ago
The government routinely hides what you're paying in taxes. Case in point - the so-called "Employer's Contribution" to your social security taxes. There's no such thing. That comes out of your pocket, too. This is because employers have no interest in what your paycheck amount is. They care about "total compensation", which is what it costs the employer to employ you. Seattle added some "payroll taxes" and successfully sold the fiction that it was the businesses paying it. The businesses did indeed write the check, but it was the employee's money.
- taylorius 2y ago
  Indeed - UK the same. The government makes so much hay out of persuading the electorate that businesses are somehow entirely separate from them.
- razakel 2y ago
  Do you really think people don't know that the tax deductions on their payslip are actually their money?
  - WalterBright 2y ago
    The "Employer's Contribution" is not listed as a deduction on the payslip.
  - tgma 2y ago
    Actually, no... At least not quite the same way. In the US, a lot of people think of tax day as a "good day" because they get a refund from the government! Psychologically it is very different if you steal the money before they even see it than take it from them once they have felt it under their tongue. Plus, I think the OP is referring to money that is technically paid by the employer but effectively passed through to the employee, because that's what happens, not some item on their payslip.
tgma 2y ago
I can look it up if I am already motivated, but it is much easier for me to convince you to take a collective political action if you feel the depth of the government's dong in your rear end every day.

chowells 2y ago

Nope. Don't care. I care about what effects the policies are having, not how much I pay in taxes. The impact of the policies is what actually matters. The tax rate is one tiny detail. I'm not wired to automatically assume collective action is evil, so I only care about it in the context of the effects of all policies combined.