The Tax Poem

This is one of those uninvited emails we get every day that keep us all busy in the office. I don’t know is everything here is true or not, but I thought its funny. If its funny, it don’t have to be true. Here we go...

"O M Weerasooriya has done a wonderful job by writing this poem but there is something that we would like you to know. A rich country will collect 20 to 35% as taxes. A developing country will collect 35 to 42.5% as taxes. Today Sri Lanka collects 63% as taxes. From every 100 rupees you earn, 63 rupees will go back to the government as taxes. This means Sri Lanka is heading towards disaster like Zimbabwe which collects a whopping 88%."
(Mr. OM Weerasooiya is a Retired Commissioner General of Inland Revenue and a Corporate Member of Sri Lanka Institute of Taxation and former Treasurer of Netherlands Alumni Association of Lanka.)

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table
At which he's fed.

Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes Are the rule.

Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts Anyway!

Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.

Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.

Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.

Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.

Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won't be done
Till he has no dough.

When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He's good and sore.

Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he's laid.

Put these words
Upon his tomb,
'Taxes drove me
to my doom...'

When he's gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax.

Accounts Receivable Tax
Airline surcharge tax
Airline Fuel Tax
Airport Maintenance Tax
Building Permit Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Death Tax
Dog License Tax
Driving Permit Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment (UI)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Petrol Tax ( too much per litre)
Gross Receipts Tax
Health Tax
Hunting License Tax
Hydro Tax
Inheritance Tax
Interest Tax
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage LicenseTax
Medicare Tax
Mortgage Tax
Personal Income Tax
Property Tax
Poverty Tax
Prescription Drug Tax
Provincial Income Tax
Real Estate Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Retail Sales Tax
Service Charge Tax
School Tax
Telephone Tax
Telephone, Provincial and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Water Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax
Entertainment Tax
Tourism Promotion Tax
Value Added Tax ........

Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, and our nation was one of the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had a large middle-class, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What in the hell happened?

08 December, 2009