That's all correct @roamer_1 and you can add to those hidden taxes the corporate income tax and all the costs of compliance (those compliance costs often far exceed actual tax liability) which cascade into the price of everything produced in this country and is not border adjustable thus putting our goods at a price disadvantage in world markets before they leave the factory.
That's right
@Bigun ... And Uncle Guido gets the vig, whether you make a profit or not.
The truth of the matter is that no one can tell you how much they pay in taxes under the current system because that number is not calculatable.[/size]
Right again... It is so exponential across stages, and so baked in, I doubt it is even figured in federal budgets. Certainly you or I could not approach it.
But the emphasis should be on those who think the government is not harming them - Or who even think the government is their benefactor - I doubt very much that they would be so inclined if all that baked in cost could be calculated.
And that is why I have always been *FOR* a retail only flat tax. Foremost, it is transparent - *NOT* baked in - so the real cost of government can be seen in every purchase. But also because it protects the costs of production and manufacturing from those baked-in taxes, causing cost increases that the production costs can never really afford.
And lastly, because it ties government directly to the retail market - Suddenly it is in the government's interest to keep the economic engine running full bore - Uncle still gets his vig, but it is taken only from the profit and at the end. That is a very important aspect.