Thanksgiving is a time for reuniting with family and friends, but Uncle Sam will be joining you again this year in the form of taxes. So say Jacob Feldman and Mattie Corrao of Americans for Tax Reform, who have determined the government tax bite for several aspects of your Thanksgiving weekend.
Many of these items are subject to the costs of income taxes, payroll taxes, corporate income taxes, and other taxes on business activity. Government then includes additional fees and excise taxes that further increase the cost of providing specific items or services.
Your travel: The average $376 Thanksgiving flight consists of $43.57 in taxes. If you are driving, 45.3% of your fill-up goes to taxes.
Once you arrive, you just might wish to unwind with your relatives (or cope with your in-laws) by opening a bottle of your favorite wine. Uncle Sam gets 32.8% of the purchase price in taxes.
The average cost of a Thanksgiving meal for ten is just under $50. As you enjoy your bountiful meal, try to be thankful that the government gobbles up “only” $13.68 of that total.
Now that you’re done feasting and the tryptophan is kicking in, it’s time to repair to the couch for some football. As you send your cousin Eddie out on a beer run, let him know the government tax bite on a case of beer is 44.3%.
Overall, of the $10 billion in overall spending that occurs during Thanksgiving weekend on gas and plane tickets, wine and beer, and the meal itself, government taxation consists of 35.9% of those expenses–approximately $3.6 billion.
Despite the cornucopia of taxes, have a happy Thanksgiving!
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