A THOUSAND THIEVES OF TAXATION

Our Federal, State and Local governments (from all political parties), has over the years passed some really strange and in most cases, idiotic taxes just to try and drain more money from our pockets.

Politicians are good at very few things, however one thing in particular that they do so well is raising taxes. But after all, we are talking about politicians, this is what they do to stay "in business" as the government needs to be constantly fed dollars.

Recently I became aware of some of the most idiotic taxes that we have in the United States. I actually had to recheck several times that they are real since I could not believe these exist.

Below are some of the dumbest, most idiotic, slimy, taxes that might make you laugh, if they weren’t really true.

Alabama:

Card Tax: Alabama is the only state charging a 10-cent tax for decks of playing cards.

Arkansas

Tattoo Tax: Get a tattoos and body piercings; pay an additional 6% state sales tax.

California:

Fruit Tax: California has a 33% tax on fruit bought from vending machines but not fruit bought in a grocery store.

 

Colorado:

Nonessential Tax: "nonessential" food-related items (napkins, bibs, utensils, and straws) are taxed but paper cups and disposable containers are considered essential and not taxed.

 

Connecticut:

Diaper Tax: Adult diapers are not taxable but kid’s diapers are taxed through the roof.

Illinois:

Candy Tax: Baby Ruth, Milky Way Midnight. M&M's and yogurt covered raisin are all candy which you pay a 5.25% tax, but a raisin covered pretzel, original Milky Way, and Twix you don’t pay any tax.

Soda Fountain Drink Tax: If you are the type of person who prefers fountain soda to can soda, you may want to think again before moving to the Windy City. Chicago taxes can soda at 3%, but fountain soda at three times that amount, or 9%.

Jock Tax: 
Would you believe that 20 of the 24 states with a pro sports team require athletes to pay state income tax for each game they play there. In 1991 when the NBA Finals was between the Chicago Bulls and the LA Lakers, after returning home the Bulls players received tax bills from California for the three games played there.

Kansas

Tethered Balloon Tax: If the balloon is tethered for a ride (attached to the ground) it is taxable but if it is not tethered it qualifies as transportation and is tax-exempt.

 

Maine

Blueberry Tax: It's not clear why but Maine has singled out blueberry for a one and one half cent tax per pound. It is on anyone who grows, sells or purchases the fruit.

 
Maryland: 
Toilet Flush Tax-In 2004, Maryland created a tax on flushing a toilet to update treatment plants and protect the Chesapeake Bay, which has experienced a decline in water quality. The tax doubled in 2012.

The Rain Tax: The tax calculates surface area of a property, the bigger the property, the more rain will fall on that property, and the more tax you will pay.

New York:

Bagel Cutting Tax: If you buy a bagel in New York, an 8 cent sales tax to all "altered" bagels will be paid (adding cream of cheese, butter, or getting it sliced).You have this tax on unless you purchase it to go, unsliced, unheated or in the same way you’d find it in a supermarket or grocery store.

North Carolina

Dog Tax: If you live in Durham you  paying a tax for neutered and spayed pets and more for pets that are not neutered or spayed

Pennsylvania

Air Tax: Purchase of any item that comes out of a compressed air vending machine and it is subject to a sales tax in this state.

Utah

Nudity Sales Tax: Utah imposes a 10% tax on any sexually explicit business where someone appears nude or partially nude in any business from selling merchandise to food.

South Bend, Indiana:
Fire Hydrant Tax: Each water customer is charged a monthly fire protection fee, assessed by law to help pay for and maintain the fire hydrants attached to our city's water system. The amount of this fee is determined by the size of your water meter.

Tennessee

Illegal Drug Tax: Known as the "crack tax," it targets possession of illegal drugs such as marijuana and cocaine. Some 20 states have a similar tax. When you pay the tax in Tennessee, you even receive stamps to attach to your illegal drugs as proof of payment.

Texas: 
Belt Buckle Tax: 6.25 percent
Although ordinary belts and cowboy boots are tax free in Texas, be ready to pay extra in the Lone Star State if you purchase a belt buckle, unless you go shopping during sales tax holiday week every August.

Holiday Decorations Tax: 
Holiday-themes placed on walls are taxed.

United States:
Federal Arrow tax: The IRS has long imposed an excise tax on arrows, and since 2012 it’s also imposed on manufacturers, producers and importers an excise tax on arrows more than 18 inches long that may or may not be suitable for use with a taxable bow.

West Virginia:

Glow Worm Tax:West Virginia imposes a 6% tax on glow worms, trick noisemakers and sparklers.

There are no bounds to the creative ways that our politicians develop so many different ways to pick our pockets clean.

As taxes rise and grow, sadly many of the services that are supposedly provided by government from these revenues are being drastically cut.

So where does this tax revenue go, too often it is wasted by incompetence,corruption, diversion to bureaucratic salaries, and patronage.  

Our tax system is modeled after the revenue raising concepts of the 19th century "economist", Jesse James, the infamous bank robber.

When there's a single thief, it's robbery. When there are a thousand thieves and laws they legislate, it's called taxation.