It’s difficult to wrap our minds around the billions and trillions of dollars that are working at the government level. We know we pay taxes. Most of us know exactly how much. But where exactly does it go? From Campaign for America’s Future:
But what if tax day was something we could be proud of as members of a democracy? Would you feel differently about paying taxes if you knew they were going to support public services that you, your family and your community rely on ? such as public safety, roads and bridges, schools, health care, social services and national parks?
Individuals are “our nation’s primary bill payers.” Income taxes paid by “We the People” account for 46 percent of all federal tax revenues — the sum of which is projected to be $3.34 trillion in 2015 — and other tax revenue comes from payroll taxes paid jointly by workers and employers (32 percent) and corporate income taxes paid by businesses (13.5 percent). The average American taxpayer paid $11,715 in income taxes in 2013.
Does the disparity in those numbers bug you? One of the numbers particularly is troubling — I’m looking at you, corporations.
These charts paint a much broader picture of where our money goes. Spoiler alert: very dang little of taxpayer dollars go to poor people and government programs. All charts via National Priorities.
This infographic shows how much of every dollar went to various budget line items.
If you paid the average of $11,715 for 2013 taxes, the charts below show where your ?$11,715 went, broken down by that amount.
Military
Health Care
Interest on Debt
Unemployment
Veterans
Food and Agriculture
Government
Housing and Community
Education
Energy and Environment
International Affairs
Transportation
Science
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Tiffany Willis is a fifth-generation Texan and the founder and editor-in-chief of Liberal America. An unapologetic member of the Christian Left, she has spent most of her career actively working with ?the least of these? and disadvantaged and oppressed populations. She’s passionate about their struggles. To stay on top of topics she discusses,?like her?Facebook page,?follow her on Twitter, or?connect with her via LinkedIn. She also has?a?grossly neglected personal blog?and a?literary quotes blog that is a labor of love. Find her somewhere and join the discussion.
