(Opinion) Tax Season Begins in New York State; Leader in High Taxes

Taxes for allPhoto byThe New York Public LibraryonUnsplash

New York State has declared the income tax season is open! The Tax Department and the IRS begin processing income tax returns. New York ranks as the highest for state and local tax burdens. Tax burden is defined as the proportion of a person's income that goes toward taxes. The concept of income tax is always confusing and generally resented by the average taxpayer.

Taxation has existed since the 1600's in the colonies, when collectors would go door to door and calculate your tax on the spot. After many fits and starts, beginning with tax to pay for the Civil War, then having that tax declared unconstitutional. Many arguments went all the way to the Supreme Court.

Subsequent incarnations, and the 16th Amendment, passed in 1909, established the Income Tax as permanent. Congress, apparently, never met a tax it didn't like. Income tax collected by the Federal government does not have to be apportioned out to the states.

One could argue that wages are not taxable as they are not income, they are an equal exchange for work done.

Internal Revenue Code section 61, Under Sec. 22(a). "Gross income" includes gains, profits, and income derived from salaries, wages or compensation for personal service.

In short, everything seems to be considered income. So if you sit on your porch and I sit on mine, you give me half your apple and I give you half my orange in exchange, the goverment gets a slice of each. Yummy!