Happy Tax Freedom Day

Today Americans will finally have earned enough money to pay this year's tax obligations at the federal, state and local levels. This year taxes will amount to 26.89 percent of our total income and take 99 working days to pay. Overall, Americans will pay more in taxes than they will spend on food, clothing and shelter combined during 2010.

According to the Tax Foundation, individual income taxes—including federal, state and local taxes—require 32 days' work. Payroll taxes take another 25 days' work. Sales and excise taxes take 15 days to pay off. Corporate income taxes take 8 days, and property taxes take 12. Americans will work 6 more days to pay other miscellaneous taxes, including motor vehicle license taxes and severance taxes and about half a day for estate taxes.

Tax Freedom Day does not include covering the cost of the out of control deficit. If Americans were required to pay for all federal government spending this year, including the $1.3 trillion the federal government is spending beyond its income, they would be working until May 17 before they had earned enough to pay their taxes—an additional 38 days of work.

With Tax Day right around the corner, the American people are increasingly faced with a growing burden of taxes, debt and uncertainty about the future. If we want to get this economy back on track, we must provide tax relief for small businesses and working families. Raising taxes is not the solution; job killing legislation is not a viable option.

Congress and the Administration have to realize that the federal government does not have an income problem; it has a spending problem. Reining in spending is the first step in addressing the deficit, not tax hikes. Recently, I introduced H.R. 4746, the Taxpayer Certainty Act, which would make the tax policies put in place in 2001 and 2003 permanent, thus preventing one of the largest tax hikes in our nation’s history next year. If Congress doesn’t act this year, everyone’s taxes will be higher next year. As your representative in Washington, I will continue to push for increased fiscal responsibility and a tax policy that won’t empty the pockets of working Americans.