Payroll Taxes

What is Up with Having Payroll Taxes?
Taxation on payroll is affecting many people in their everyday lives. There are several reasons why taxation on payroll should not occur. These reasons include money going to welfare and funding government programs; which in this case, is taking away money from the food and shelter costs. Payroll should not be taxed for several reasons. Some reasons include expensive government funding programs, welfare, and taking from everyday living costs. This essay will explain what payroll taxes are, what is happening because of payroll taxation, and also what are other ways to tax individual other than on payroll. To begin, the idea of taxation on payrolls can cause several different viewpoints. Payroll taxes are taxes that are taken from one’s total paycheck amount each time the employee is paid. For example, when a citizen works, their total paycheck will be taxed. So, there is money being deducted from the overall total. Payroll tax consists of federal taxes, state taxes, government taxes, Medicare, social security and much more. Studies today have shown more than seventy percent of US families are paying more in payroll taxes than in federal income taxes (Blaricom).

This shows that citizens are being taxed more for working, compared to what they are for federal income taxes. Another reason why the taxation on payroll should be stopped is because they are taking money from employees’ paychecks in order to pay for welfare and other government funding programs. The reason why this idea is unfair is because if one has to work to make money, why is the government taking one’s pay to provide it to others who chose not to obtain a job? These programs made by the government fund the citizens who need money for food and shelter. Therefore, payroll taxes are taxes on an employee’s paycheck. These taxes go towards government spending and redundant government funding programs (Ditmer). Furthermore, taxation on payroll is affecting many citizens and is causing several problems. Payroll taxes are taking from people’s everyday living costs. If the government is taking from paychecks, employees will not be able to afford food, water and shelter costs. Another reason why payroll tax is affecting many citizens is because it is causing businesses to offer fewer jobs (Berlin). If businesses do not hire, citizens will not be able to make money to support their families and have the money for food and other costs.

Some citizens even sign up for unemployment or welfare in order to make ends meet. These programs will tax one’s payroll to get enough money to fund government programs. In the article “Why Tax Work?,” they stated, “The best thing that could happen to our tax code is substantial reduction in the payroll tax, which is now the largest and most damaging tax on working Americans,” (“Why Tax”). Another article stated, “Payroll taxes are something every employer must deal with. Employers are required to withhold taxes from the employee’s pay and deposit the withheld amounts,” (“Are Workers Subject to Payroll”). Payroll has numerous categories for taxation. These categories include federal income, social security, Medicare tax, state tax, and also various local taxes (“Recent Changes…”). Therefore, payroll taxation affects many citizens in their everyday lives. The reason why it affects citizens every day is because the government is taking from payrolls for food and shelter costs, then giving it to the unemployed, as well as to the citizens who have signed up for welfare. Finally, payroll taxation is a major problem that needs a different outcome.

Taxation on payroll can be too much for some citizens to handle. Pollution taxes would be a great example to take the place of payroll taxes. Pollution taxes are taxes that will help fund the ecological system. Another name for pollution taxes are eco-taxes. In an article found online, it stated, “While the economy needed a stimulus, it should never have taken the form of messing with the basic social contract that is the foundation of our social safety network,” (Walker). Today, businesses are being taxed for pollution. Therefore, taxation on payroll should be exchanged for pollution tax for several reasons. In Conclusion, this essay provided the background information on what payroll taxes are, what are happening because of payroll taxation, and what are some other ways to tax individual other than on payroll. Payroll taxes are an important aspect in one’s everyday life. They affect many citizens across the country. Therefore, payroll taxes should be eliminated and be replaced with another tax that is friendlier to the working citizen.

Works Cited

Are your workers subject to payroll taxation?. Business Owner’s Toolkit. Bizfilings, 21 2012.
Web. 14 Nov. 2012.

Berlin, Rebecca. What Are Payroll Taxes? All Law. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2012

Blaricom, Diana. Tax planning U.S. About.com. N.p., 21 2012. Web. 12 Nov. 12.
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Ditmer, Robert W. Taxing and Reporting the Personal Use of Employer-Provided Vehicles on Payroll-Taxes.com. Taxing & Reporting the Use of Employer-Provided Vehicle. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2012.

Nation, 4/20/1998, Vol.266 issue 14, p19-22,4p,1 black and white photograph

Recent Changes in Payroll Tax Reporting (Updated October 18, 2012). Recent Changes in Payroll Tax Reporting. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2012.

Walker, John. Why We Should Never Have Messed Around with the Payroll Tax. N.p., 07 2011.
Web. 21 Nov. 2012.