Given that it is April 15th (even if that date doesn’t hold it’s normal significance this year), I figured I’d pose a question to the readers here…

How much did you get back from the government this year?

I did alright, getting about $2K back from them.

Of course, that leads to a secondary question:

How much, in total, did you pay the government this year?

What was it, enough to buy a small appliance? Small car? Small boat? Small airplane?

Did you get your money’s worth for that “investment” in Washington DC? Could you have made better use of that money?

Seriously, if you don’t know how much you paid, in gross terms, you’re like most Americans. Most don’t bother to take the time to understand the actual cost of government. And, when you add in all the different taxes (sales tax, vehicle license fees, telecom taxes, etc), it’s nearly impossible to actually know the true number, you’re always just working with a good estimate.

Pull out those tax forms. Pull out the W-2. Start adding up the numbers: you might be surprised. Or, if you’re like most people, you might be led into a fury of homicidal rage. Ever wonder why tax day is about 6 months away from election day?