MISSOURIANS TO GET JUMP ON TAX FREEDOM DAY

Missourians get a head start on observance of Tax Freedom Day.

Nationally, Friday has been declared by the Tax Foundation as TFD day, a day later than last year.

That is the day the average U.S. citizen has earned enough money to pay the year's total tax bill -- federal, state and local.

Missouri, long considered a low-tax state, celebrates TFD today, three days ahead of the national average.

The day comes even sooner in some states: Louisiana workers celebrated first, on April 24.

New York, the highest-tax state, can't celebrate until May 23.

Tax Freedom Day was Feb. 9 in 1929; March 8 in 1940; April 17 in 1960; April 28 in 1970; May 1 in 1980; and May 6, in 1990.

The average American now works two hours and 49 minutes every work day of the year to pay taxes. That's longer than it takes to earn the money spent on housing, household operations (furniture, upkeep, utility bills), food and clothing combined.

According to the Tax Foundation, income taxes will require about 41 days of work this year; Social Security and other payroll taxes will take 38 days. Each worker's share of corporate income taxes will take 10 days to cover; property, sales and other business taxes account for the rest.

One of Missouri's most widely known farmers -- Missouri Farm Bureau president Charles Kruse, says it is outrageous that the average American must work so long and so hard to pay taxes.

Kruse said, "As a farmer I'm probably interested in how much time, or I should say, how little time it takes the average American to earn enough money to pay for food."

Farmers, said Kruse, should take pride in the fact that Americans not only eat better and have the most abundant and safest food supply, but also spend less time working to pay for their food than any other people in the world.

Americans spend only 46 minutes a working day to pay for food.

But Americans are very aware of food price increase because they visit the grocery store frequently and pay cash for their food.

Most people, said Kruse, are not aware of the time spent working to pay their taxes.

April 15 is the only day many Americans pay serious attention the tax burden.

On that day many Americans are conditioned to wonder how much they may get back from the government, as though a tax refund were a gift, said Kruse.

"It's ironic," said Kruse, in a recent column written for Farm Bureau. "Taxes are the fastest growing expense in the budget of the average American, yet tax increases are noticed less than even minor increases in food."

If American went to ~~a "tax store" every day, or even once a week, and paid for taxes with cash, they would be very aware of the real cost of taxes and sensitive to any increases to that cost, said Kruse.

Kruse said the fact that Tax Freedom Day is a full day later this year and that taxpayers have to work a full day longer this year than five years ago to earn enough income to cover the tax obligation should serve as a reality check.