If GOP is so good on taxes, why isn’t Tax Freedom Day getting EARLIER?

shakeThe DC-based Tax Foundation coined the term “Tax Freedom Day” — which denotes the day Americans transition from working to pay their tax bill to working for themselves. 

The GOP has been in control of the North Carolina General Assembly since 2011, and the US House (where taxes originate)  since 2011.

In 2009, North Carolina’s Tax Freedom Day came on April 9.  In 2010, the last year Democrats controlled the North Carolina legislature, Tax Freedom Day for North Carolina fell on April 7. 

In 2011, North Carolina’s Tax Freedom Day fell on April 6.  

In 2012, North Carolina’s Tax Freedom Day fell on April 11.

In 2013, North Carolina’s Tax Freedom Day was April 10.   Ok, we got a one day break here.

In 2014, North Carolina’s Tax Freedom Day fell on April 14.  (South Carolina’s fell on April 9th that same year. )

In 2015, North Carolina’s Tax Freedom Day fell on April 16.   (Again, South Carolina’s big day was on April 9th.) 

What does all this mean?  It means we in North Carolina are having to work longer and harder to pay our combined state-federal tax burden, even though we’re represented by Republicans who talk a good game on taxes.  Sure, we’ll see one tax cut over here.  Then, we’ll get a rejiggering of the gas tax formula that gives us an increase.  Then, we’ll get a bill retroactively killing off tax exemptions — which pulls more money out of people’s pockets. 

We’re getting a lot of chest-thumping from the state GOP here in the wake of tax day.  But these Tax Freedom dates are troubling. We keep losing industry to South Carolina. Raleigh tells us we need to respond with more corporate welfare.  This Tax Freedom Day data appears to show that The Palmetto State is much more competitive — in terms of taxes — than we are here north of the border.