How much of the food bill is tax's?

[Fransisco]

http://www.fiscalaccountability.org/point-percent-cost-thanksgiving-dinner-brought-a1039#

As you finalize your Thanksgiving plans, be sure to reserve a seat at your table for an extra guest: Uncle Sam.

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?

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. The menu items for a classic Thanksgiving dinner used for their survey include turkey, bread stuffing, sweet potatoes, rolls with butter, peas, cranberries, a relish tray of carrots and celery, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, and beverages of coffee and milk. Of that, of course, the turkey is the largest cost factor at an average price of $18.65 for a 16-pound bird.

Because Thanksgiving is a celebration, for our calculations, we also factored in five bottles of wine at an average price of $7.35, which brings 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:

On top of the direct excise taxes on the wine, there are taxes paid by the farmers, winemakers, manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors and shippers, retailers, warehouses. To be more specific, out of what the consumer pays, the producers and sellers must pay federal income taxes, state income taxes, federal payroll taxes, unemployment insurance taxes, workmen’s compensation taxes, state franchise taxes, local property taxes and any local income taxes.

All told, for a Thanksgiving feast for a family of ten, the government takes a bite of 40.91 percent, or $32.59.

And that is only if your family does not have to drive or fly to get to the Thanksgiving party, or stay at a hotel for the duration of the festivities, as domestic airfare, gasoline, and hotel stays have their own “tax bites” which are even higher than the bite the government takes out of your Thanksgiving meal, and which we calculated last year.

[Fransisco]

I wonder how much it is up here? I'd guess that it'd be more.

Interesting as well is the assumption that so many farmers have when they see the price of food in the store, that everyone else is making obscene profits except for them. Without ever taking the time to think of all of the tax's that have to be paid as the food works its way from the gate to the plate.

[Kodiak]

Makes you yearn for the days when a politician actually talked - if not acted on - about the idea of smaller government. Where are the Reagan's and Thatchers today?
Instead we've got Obama and Polozi who never met a business they didn't want the government to own and control, doing it with taxpayer's money. 41% taxes on your Thanksgiving Day meal is going to seem cheap when the smoke all clears from the binge these big government practitioners are currently on.

Any guesses on what tax level the 2015 Thanksgiving Day dinner will be subjected to? 50%, 60%, 75% ???

Tea Party anyone? Or should it be call it a Turkey Party??

[Kodiak]

Hey guys - don't do like I just did. Edit before you post! I'm sure you know what I mean.....

[Fransisco]

And on this side of the border I don't see Harper's Conservatives being any better. Record deficits, bail outs to everyone, and spend, spend, spend. With the way government is growing in Canada it's just a question of when tax's are going to be increasing not if.

[checking]

Only a moot point, but it's obvious that the Americans for Tax Reform Foundation and the Center for Fiscal Accountability don't buy their turkeys at Wal Mart.

Are they worried about the percent of "tax bite", or the actual tax bite on a $1.17/lb vs $0.40/lb?

I suspect the rest of their basket of Thanksgiving products is just as inflated.

[Fransisco]

What difference would that make on the percentage? 40 per cent is still 40 per cent!

[checking]

I didn't say it right for you.

"The turkey is the largest cost factor." No!, the headache they threw in at the end is the largest cost factor, then the hidden taxes. Taxes that, in effect, the second Sam at my table has picked up for me by providing the lost leader on the turkey to get me into his store. It's likely provided on the study that once there, I'll purchase some road hazard insurance in the form of a tire in order to make it to the Thanksgiving dinner on time.

I think these organization have cooked and stuffed their averages to make the hidden tax number look worse than it needs to be. I'm selfish. I always look at the bottom line.

[Fransisco]

"I didn't say it right for you."

Well then you're two for two, cause I still don't have much of an idea what you're getting at.

"Taxes that, in effect, the second Sam at my table has picked up for me by providing the lost leader on the turkey to get me into his store. It's likely provided on the study that once there, I'll purchase some road hazard insurance in the form of a tire in order to make it to the Thanksgiving dinner on time" ????

[checking]

Told you, it was only moot.

Three for three then.

Would you agree that the average shopper shops at Wal Mart? And that this study is based on averages.

"All told, for a Thanksgiving feast
for a family of ten, the government takes a bite of 40.91 percent." Why didn't those two organizations stop there? That is the story they are trying to get out. Why muddy it with $ signs that can be questioned?

[Fransisco]

So because they didn't look for the best price on turkey's you're saying their tax figures might be wrong.

I agree that the point is moot because as I said before, it doesn't matter if one spends $5, $50, or $150 on a thanksgiving meal the tax rate would still be 40%. For every $100 spent on food $40 goes to government.

BTW- I wouldn't consider a $7 bottle of wine as a "premium" product.

[Fransisco]

And there would be a whole lot more questions if they didn't show their math.

[checking]

I don't believe the wine should have been included to inflate the price of the meal celebration, and by extention the government tax grab in dollars. That aside, most of us don't require a special event in order to drink!!!

I'm saying that an average person would cry bullship if presented with figures from organizations that are two to three times higher (just to get to an average price) on what they have identified as a major expense in a celebration. If that's wrong, does it then place doubt on their main premise?

They should not have shown their math without the caveat of "if."

[Fransisco]

"Farm Bureau volunteer shoppers are asked to look for the best possible prices, without taking advantage of special promotional coupons or purchase deals, such as spending $50 and receiving a free turkey. Shoppers with an eye for bargains in all areas of the country should be able to purchase individual menu items at prices comparable to the Farm Bureau survey averages. Another option for busy families without a lot of time to cook is ready-to-eat Thanksgiving meals for up to 10 people, with all the trimmings, which are available at many supermarkets and take-out restaurants for around $50 to $75

The AFBF survey was first conducted in 1986. While Farm Bureau does not make any statistical claims about the data, it is an informal gauge of price trends around the nation.

<b>More than 200 volunteer shoppers from 35 states participated in this year’s survey.</b> Farm Bureau’s survey menu has remained unchanged since 1986 to allow for consistent price comparisons."

[Fransisco]

Just over 200 volunteer shoppers from 35 states sounds like a reasonable and random enough sample to be considered "average".

Yes, you can find the $5 wal-mart turkeys but no, everybody does not buy their turkey at wal-mart.