Have you ever asked yourself how much of the cost of your Thanksgiving feast is owed to the fact that the government takes a big bite at it in hidden taxes?
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The Americans for Tax Reform Foundation and the Center for Fiscal Accountability have calculated just how big that government “tax bite” for Thanksgiving is, and it clocks in at a whopping 40.91 percent.
According to the American Farm Bureau Federation, the average cost for a Thanksgiving feast for ten lies at $42.91 in 2009. For the calculation ATRF and CFA also factored in five bottles of wine at an average price of $7.35, bringing the total cost of the average Thanksgiving feast to $79.67. But not all of that reflects the actual cost of your meal – a large chunk of it is taken by the government in some form or another, adding up to a tax bite of 40.91 percent or $32.59
“You probably wouldn’t have thought so, but whether you want it or not, Uncle Sam is dining with you on Thanksgiving. The reason is that out of what you pay, the producers and sellers must pay a whole host of taxes not showing up on your bill and these hidden taxes add up to a whopping 40.91 percent,” said Grover Norquist, president of the Americans for Tax Reform Foundation. “And that’s only if your family does not have to drive or fly to get to the Thanksgiving party, or stay at a hotel – as domestic airfare, gasoline, and hotel stays have their own “tax bites,” which are even bigger than the bite the government takes out of your Thanksgiving meal.”
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