For Better or For Worse by Lynn Johnston for April 10, 2022

Yes, Liz, mind-boggling.

50% tax rate? Lynn Johnston is showing her multimillionaire status with this one.

SOME taxes you don’t know about? …. Try MOST taxes you don’t know about.

When this was first published in 1993, Liz and John didn’t know how lucky they were. They didn’t have to pay no carbon tax because of global warming back then!

The assessor raised my real estate taxes so much that I could not afford to stay in my paid-for home. I concluded they own my home since I must pay them to stay. It was a nice place too.

John, don’t forget the tax on taxes!!

I don’t know about Canada, but in the US, taxes pay for “free” public schools.

And most of us are aware of how lousy those are!!

Sad but true, at least for earners in his bracket.

Liz thinks He was telling her the “other facts of life”

It’s hard when you start working

Let me tell you how it will be

Don’t forget fees and surcharges — the hidden taxes.

But what will last longer, taxes, dirty laundry, or cockroaches?

Wrong facts Liz

But, hey, you get “FREE” health care

In the early eighties, when our son was three, my wife and I were doing our taxes one day, and as we sat together at the table most if the day our boy kept wanting attention. After putting him off a number of times and telling him we were doing our taxes, he said, “I don’t like when you and mommy play taxes”. We told him we don’t like it either.

Only 50%? I would put it at 60%+ for all taxes combined.

There is also Old Age Survivors Insurance tax of 10.6% and Disability Insurance tax of 1.8%. Those are better known as social security taxes. For the employed, they have to pay 5.2% in old age tax and 0.9% in disability tax, which is matched by the employer. This matching, however, is not a free lunch, as that is money the employer cannot pay you. As such, it often has resulted in lower wages and fewer promotions. Not sure what it is called in Canada. John is self-employed, so he has to pay all by himself. In the US self-employed pay 9.88% in old age tax and 1.69% in disability tax.

Also remember their health care is included. Curently an employer provided group family policy is $22,000+ in the US which alone is close to 50% of the medium income.

I am not sure about Canada’s fiscal history, but from 1789 to 1912 in these United States there was no income tax. The U.S. Constitution, in its original form, prohibited direct taxation.

The average tax rate for Canada is 33%. That’s where this strip is set, if you weren’t aware. For the U.S., it’s quite a bit lower.

https://www.taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/how-do-us-taxes-compare-internationally

The Pattersons live in Taxada, or Ontaxio to be more specific.

No John. You were explaining the tax of life.

We don’t have to pay taxes. We can always go to jail and live on taxes instead. I mean the option is there.

Now add in child support….and forget about making anything if you are in arrears…

Still want to move to Oh Canada!

Taxes.. are what keeps society a society. The system is setup to leave the masses with “just” enough without revolting.

Another tax that effects everyone except the rich… Inflation.

No Provincial taxes in the U.S. But that’s just a diff in terminology.

Taxation is slavery. We are little more than indentured servants to Government.

Not “Those” facts of life, the reality facts that everyone has to hew to once they start making $$$ because TNSTAAFL

I’m more worried about the taxes the government piggy backs on bigger bills that we never hear about before we vote

uuuu yup. then sex comes later.

“The tax of life” would have been a better punchline.

Not quite sure it’s that high in the U.S. but then again, maybe Canada isn’t the paradise most Canadians claim it is.

John is a professional dentist. You’d think he would have paid people to do his taxes for him. His taxes are probably complicated.

And all those years on “Last Man Standing”, Ryan kept trying to tell them that Canada ISN’T a socialist country!?

No, she’s showing what the Canadian tax rates are for the common folk.

Funny- a sneaky way to include that the strip is Canadian with the mention of “Provincial Taxes”.

For us we go to tax accountant, because of a former leader as hubby forgot to opt out of payroll taxes, we have to pay. And this is on his retirement pension.

Oh Canada

Want an object lesson in how many ways people are taxed? Take a good look at the itemized bill for your landline telephone.

When you get older, Elizabeth, you’ll also be concerned about taxes.

Those taxes were luxury taxes. put on during WWII and never removed. And don’t blame liberals for this, the conservatives have had the opportunity to get rid of them several times, there are special interests that keep some of these taxes going.

It should be more like ‘the taxes of life’

Dang, lotta people gotta comment on taxes!I just was gonna say wouldnt the “tax of life” be a funnier phrase, but the comment above me already said it.

Everybody moves to Nevada so they won’t have to pay income tax.

Then they lose more at the slots than if they paid income tax.

It’s Canada from about 20 years ago. Doubtful it’s gotten any better with time. The VAT tax alone sends hundreds of thousands across the border to shop. Back in the eighties we vacationed on a beach in Ontario near Buffalo with my Mom’s side of the family, who were all from Buffalo. One night, after visiting my Mom in Buffalo, we were returning very late (about 2 AM) to our rental when we stopped for groceries at the largest grocery store I’ve ever been in. There had to be twenty registers, all fully staffed. It was down the street from Republic Steel and a bunch of other heavy industries with no residential housing in sight, largely because the air quality was poor enough that it literally stripped the paint after only a few years. And we were the only Americans there, all the rest of the shoppers were Canadian. By shopping late a night they got the overnight crew of Customs officials on the Peace Bridge who simply waved them across. And that’s how bad the VAT was (and probably still is).

Don’t you mean the tax of life, John?