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Even for liberal HBO host Bill Maher, the math behind Tax Day no longer adds up.
Maher took to his platform on “Real Time” to sound the alarm on a staggering personal tax burden that he says claims the majority of his earnings, sparking a wider debate on whether the American government is simply “incompetent and corrupt” despite a $5 trillion revenue stream.
“Last week was Tax Day… I paid to the government, if you add in state tax, local, sales, property, fees, Obamacare, probably almost 60% of what I earn. That’s a lot,” Maher said on a recent episode.
“I still wouldn’t mind if Bernie Sanders would stop saying the rich don’t pay taxes,” the host continued. “And while I’m sure the super-rich, with their army of accountants and corporate loopholes, get away with murder, us regular rich people pay a s— ton of taxes!”
CALIFORNIA BILLIONAIRE TAX NEARS BALLOT AFTER UNION COLLECTS NEARLY DOUBLE REQUIRED SIGNATURES
High-income earners in blue states like California, where Maher films his show, face some of the highest combined tax rates across the country. While Democrats often argue the biggest tax hits come from the federal income tax alone, Maher slammed the “hidden” costs that take more than half of your pay.
California ranks fifth nationally for the highest state and local tax burden, with the Tax Foundation reporting that residents lose an average of 13.5% of their total income to taxes.
“The top 10% pay 72% of all federal income taxes, and the bottom half, 3%,” Maher noted, with his cited numbers backed by a Tax Foundation analysis of 2022 Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data.
“The Democratic socialists talk about socialism like we don’t already have a lot… Not against it, just the same question — how can you be soaking the rich and failing the poor so badly?” he said.
The HBO host further questioned where the money is actually going, pointing to the reliance on charities like Remote Area Medical (RAM) to provide basic care, like dental and medical, that the government — despite its trillions in revenue — is failing to deliver.
“How can it be that the federal government alone took in over $5 trillion in taxes last year and we still need that? Are we really this incompetent and corrupt?”
“The ultra-rich keep getting ultra-richer,” Maher said. “[Those with] their army of accountants and corporate loopholes [can often find ways to shrink their tax bills].”
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