GOV/MIL BLS: Americans Spend More on Taxes Than Food and Clothing Combined

Housecarl

On TB every waking moment
For links see article source.....
Posted for fair use.....
https://www.cnsnews.com/news/articl...average-family-tax-bill-increased-411-4-years

BLS: Americans Spend More on Taxes Than Food and Clothing Combined

By Terence P. Jeffrey | August 30, 2017 | 12:18 PM EDT

(CNSNews.com) - Americans on average spent more on taxes in 2016 than they did on food and clothing combined, according to data released this week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The same data also shows that in three years—from 2013 to 2016—the average tax bill for Americans increased 41.13 percent.

In 2016, according to BLS, “consumer units” (which include families, financially independent individuals, and people living in a single household who share expenses) spent more on average on federal, state and local taxes ($10,489) than they did on food ($7,203) and clothing ($1,803) combined ($9,006).

The average tax bill for American “consumer units” increased from $7,423 in 2013 to $10,489 in 2016, according to data released this week by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The tax-and-spending data was collected as part of the BLS’s Consumer Expenditure Survey, which is conducted for the BLS by the Census Bureau. The survey measures the expenditures and incomes of American consumers.

food1.jpg

https://www.cnsnews.com/s3/files/styles/content_100p/s3/food1.jpg?itok=elBO1zOM

The survey publishes the itemized expenditures of what it refers to as “consumer units,” which include “all members of a particular household who are related by blood, marriage, adoption, or other legal arrangements,” or “a person living alone or sharing a household with others or living as a roomer in a private home or lodging house or in a permanent living quarters in a hotel or motel, but who is financially independent,” or “two or more persons living together who use their income to make joint expenditure decisions.” The BLS said that a consumer unit generally refers to a family.

In 2016, according to the survey, there were 129,549,000 “consumer units” in the United States. The average before-tax income of an American consumer unit was $74,664 for the year. The consumer unit then paid an average of $10,489 in personal taxes—including $8,367 in federal income taxes, $2,046 in state and local income taxes, and $75 in other taxes.

Three years before that, in 2013, according to the survey, there were 125,670,000 “consumer units” in America. The average before-tax income of these consumer units that year was $63,784. In 2013, consumer units paid an average of $7,432 in taxes—including $5,743 in federal income taxes, $1,629 in state and local income taxes, and $60 in other taxes.

From 2013 to 2016, overall personal taxes climbed from $7,432 to $10,489—an increase of $3,057 or 41.13 percent. Federal income taxes climbed from $5,743 to $8,367—an increase of $2,624 or 45.7%. State and local income taxes climbed from $1,629 to $2,046—an increase of $417 or 25.6 percent. Other taxes climbed from $60 to $75—an increase of $15 or 25 percent.

tax1.jpg

https://www.cnsnews.com/s3/files/styles/content_100p/s3/tax1.jpg?itok=zfulrAgD

The biggest single expenditure by “consumer units” in 2016—and the only one that exceeded taxes—was “housing,” which cost the average consumer unit $18,886 during the year. That included $11,128 for the “shelter” itself, $3,884 for utilities fuel and public services, $1,384 for household operations, $160 for housekeeping supplies, and $1,829 for household furnishings and equipment.

However, American “consumer units” only spent $1,803 on “apparel and services” (clothing) in 2016 and $7,203 on “food.”

The $1,803 that the average consumer unit spent on clothing included $427 for “men and boys,” $665 for “women and girls,” $66 for “children under 2,” $388 for “footwear,” and $257 for “other apparel and services.”

The $7,203 for food included $4,029 for “food at home” and $3,154 for “food away from home.”

Under the food at home category, the average consumer unit spent $890 on “meat, poultry, fish and eggs," $783 on “fruits and vegetables," $410 on "dairy products," and $393 on "non-alcoholic beverages."

The $10,489 that the average consumer unit spent on taxes in 2016 was 13.4 times as much as the $783 it spent on fruits and vegetables.

Here is a screen capture from the BLS table showing the personal tax expenditures of the average consumer unit rising from $7,432 in 2013 to $10,489 in 2016--an increase of $3,057 or 41.13 percent:

taxesscreen.jpg

https://www.cnsnews.com/s3/files/styles/content_100p/s3/taxesscreen.jpg?itok=Hq1pB5lE

697 Comments
 

tanstaafl

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Considering that probably about 75-90% of the price of anything is ALSO built-in taxes, this is even worse than the article is saying. Think about all the taxes everyone at every single step of the process along the way also pays that has to be added to the item's price, including the fuel taxes to move everything involved to its final destination.
 

cjoi

Veteran Member
BLS = Bureau of Labor Statistics

For anyone else suffering AOS (Acronym Overload Syndrome)
 

Dosadi

Brown Coat
Don't spend more on taxes, have more looted by taxes

Only difference between a tax collector and common their if the taxman demands the sanction of his victim.
 

NC Susan

Deceased
No where do I see medical in the expenditures
After all Justice Roberts determined ObamaCare a tax

(ObamaCare or deductibles or employer employee contributions)


I could lease 2 Cadillacs for what we hemorrhage a month here for insurance and deductibles
 

PghPanther

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Not surprised by that at all........in my case I make good money and see between 3 to 5 grand in taxes taken out of my monthly commission check.

However, I live prudently with my consumption and maybe average $30 a month in clothes spending (I can wear jeans and t-shirts to my office and even work in bare feet.....no problem there...lol!)..

...I never seem to need more clothes other than socks and underwear....

I only eat foods I buy at the grocery store that are whole foods and only drink water......so my monthly food bill is about $300 at most.......

So I pay about 10 -15 times a month in taxes what I spend on clothes/food as a single person.

I have no problem in paying taxes for infrastructure, defense (when we really need it) and social programs for those unable physically to work....along with some other spending necessary to keep society functioning.........clean water, sewage, health care for the mentally ill, prisons, etc.

But what really gets my goat is tax money wasted and/or robbed through illegal immigration and generational welfare bums..........especially in medical costs.

For instance, every time an inner city gang member is shot and taken to a medical facility for emergency operations to save their lives how many $10,000 to $100,000s do you think that ends up costing the tax payer for just one person?

I'd sooner put all the gang members in a fenced in area and load them up with guns and ammo and have them go at it.......then take the dead bodies and feed them to guard dogs..........yup that's how I feel about that compared to tax payers always extending the life of those wastes of oxygen.
 

West

Senior
No where do I see medical in the expenditures

ObamaCare or deductibles or employer employee contributions


I could lease 2 Cadillacs for what we hemorrhage a month here for insurance and deductibles

Agree, and to just add the other cost for employers (mandated payroll liabilities) because employers are Americans too. And they collect those fines/fees/taxes for free, and infact pay to collect then send them to the many buracratic systems for free.

I still maintain, the vary fact that any income above $400 a year that is taxed by IRS laws at a average 10% is so wrong and so anti- capitalistic, anti- independent, on so many small business that it's a fine to be independent.

10+% fine on a independent indavidual who only makes $400 to $50k in income a year in self employment taxes plus all the above taxes, for their means.... discourages independence. It's just wrong.
 
Top