“The subjects of every state ought to contribute towards the support of the government, as nearly as possible, in proportion to their respective abilities; that is, in proportion to the revenue which they respectively enjoy under the protection of the state."

- The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith, 1776

In 2011, Americans will devote 2 hours and 13 minutes of every eight-hour workday, over a quarter of their working hours, to paying taxes. In a nine-to-five workday, it takes until 11:13 a.m. to earn enough to pay that day's share of taxes at the federal, state and local level. If we add the federal deficit to the picture—that is, if the federal government were planning to col­lect enough in taxes during 2011 to finance all of its spending—Americans would work until lunchtime for the government.

Source: The Tax Foundation

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