According to the Tax Foundation, California’s Tax Freedom Day won’t come until April 16 this year, a full two days later than last year and four days later than the average state.
Tax Freedom Day, calculated annually by the Tax Foundation, is the day Americans have earned enough money to pay their annual tax obligations at the federal, state and local levels. The Tax Foundation also calculates a Tax Freedom Day for each state. As a result of Californians’ high tax burden, Tax Freedom Day in California is the 6th latest in the nation.
Because of the 2009 tax increases, Californians now have to spend two more days of their lives each year working for the government. Yet under the Governor’s proposed budget, Californians would be forced to work even longer each year just to pay their taxes.
It should come as no surprise that the Governor is having a tough time selling his tax hikes. Californians are overtaxed. We work more than three months—106 days—just to pay the costs of government before we even begin to provide for our own families.
Even so, the government still can’t live within its means. If we had to pay the full burden of all government spending this year, Tax Freedom Day wouldn’t arrive until late May.