Paychecks.

[JustaRacer]

Slightly car related.

I was doing payroll, and noticed my crew is losing about 3.5% of their take home pay over last year.

I received an email from the White House the same day, telling me there would be no middle class tax increases.

That 3.5% is "disposable income", so racing budgets for most people are going drop significantly, depending on your disposable income level.  If it's 35%, 10% of it just vanished.

Yes, I know, it's not a "tax increase" in pure legaleze, but in reality, it is.

If it's a political discussion, please delete this, but I think it will affect racing again this year, which has been in a slump for a few years now.  Maybe not Bonneville, but all other racing has been hit.

[Dean Los Angeles]

That number will change as the month progresses. Laws just enacted take time to reach the real world.

Withholding amounts have zero to do with taxable income at tax time. Let's have this conversation on the 31st when the tax tables are finalized.

Withholding is the government covering up what you pay in taxes. The amount is designed to take more than you owe so that you always get a refund. That's a refund of the money you didn't have during the year and are not getting interest for allowing the feds to borrow it.

Quick quiz. What was the amount of federal income tax you paid last year? Shame on you if you can't bring that huge number up immediately.

[JustaRacer]

That number will change as the month progresses. Laws just enacted take time to reach the real world.

Withholding amounts have zero to do with taxable income at tax time. Let's have this conversation on the 31st when the tax tables are finalized.

Withholding is the government covering up what you pay in taxes. The amount is designed to take more than you owe so that you always get a refund. That's a refund of the money you didn't have during the year and are not getting interest for allowing the feds to borrow it.

Quick quiz. What was the amount of federal income tax you paid last year? Shame on you if you can't bring that huge number up immediately.

I never even see a paycheck, my wife does the books.  I know my annual total taxes are over 50% though.  Sales, Property, Registration, Phone, Utility, Income, Tire, Electronic Waste, Off-road, Supplemental, Fuel, Alcohol, etc.  Since I'm an employer, there are other ones as well.

The 10% of disposable is coming from the end of a temporary Social Security Reduction, so it's not a "tax", it just makes your check smaller.