Taxes

[Saggy Aggie]

So I was looking at my girlfriend's paycheck after she told me her check was only 36$ for 2 weeks (waitress with 50-60 hours @ 2 something an hour should be over 100$). This clearly didnt sound right, so I looked at it, and sure enough, she had 61 hours @ 2 and some change per hour which totaled 131 something. Total taxes and medicaid and whatnot taken out was 93$ so she got to keep 36 out of the 131 she earned (29% take home and 71% to the gov't).


I know when I was working, MAYBE 25% was coming out of my check. Why is she losing so much of her money, or is this standard for everyone now???

[turbostud]

Probably because of her W4. If they withhold taxes at a single rate, more money comes out but you get more back at tax time. If you file married they withhold less but you get less back at tax time. Also depends on how many dependents you claim on the W4
My wife just had to fill hers out again. She just started working again after finishing her masters degree and filled out the W4 wrong. They withheld 600 bucks in taxes alone on her first paycheck because she didnt claim any dependents.

[the genious]

And waittresses get money taken out from credit card transactions.. Many waitresses get $0 checks

[OldBison75]

If she has to report her tips to her employer, they take out taxes on those reported tips also. My daughter is a waitress and has a similar situation--she reports only 50% of her tips to minimize how much is taken out of her check.

[eagles_victory]

As said above, waiting and waitressing is very different most of my friends who wait do get 0 dollar checks. Where does she work at because I know some people who work at places in Cstat who have similar complaints.

[poisoned10]

As stated earlier, taxes are taken out of the tips. The only way to get those tax dollars is to withhold it from your check. Which is why you have to claim your tips.

I used to average about $600 a week when I bartender at applebees and I would claim only $300-$400 of it. My checks would be about $20 dollars every 2 weeks.

[Farmersfan]

I have several friend who have made a career out of bartending and they frequently get close to zero dollar paychecks. They drive nicer vehicles than I can afford, dress in far nicer clothes and always seem to have more money in the bank than I have. All this on paychecks that often amount to 0.00.................. Hummmmmmm, I wonder!

[Saggy Aggie]

yeah she definitely has to report her tips, and she she cant get away with not reporting some of them. Her manager checks her tips on every table she waits.

It makes sense now that the taxes on her tips are coming out of her check, so thats why it seems so inflated. Opposed to a 0$ check, the 36$ doesn't look too bad lol

[Black_Magic]

So I was looking at my girlfriend's paycheck after she told me her check was only 36$ for 2 weeks (waitress with 50-60 hours @ 2 something an hour should be over 100$). This clearly didnt sound right, so I looked at it, and sure enough, she had 61 hours @ 2 and some change per hour which totaled 131 something. Total taxes and medicaid and whatnot taken out was 93$ so she got to keep 36 out of the 131 she earned (29% take home and 71% to the gov't).
I know when I was working, MAYBE 25% was coming out of my check. Why is she losing so much of her money, or is this standard for everyone now???

too bad she is not a millionare making bucks in the stock market. she would keep 85% and the Government would only get 15%..

[Emerson1]

too bad she is not a millionare making bucks in the stock market. she would keep 85% and the Government would only get 15%..

She isn't contributing millions in investments either.

She needs to search around for a new job. Reporting 100% of tips? I've never heard of a manager being such a tightwad that they make their employees do that. Heck I knew a girl that didn't report any of her cash tips.

[Black_Magic]

She isn't contributing millions in investments either.

She needs to search around for a new job. Reporting 100% of tips? I've never heard of a manager being such a tightwad that they make their employees do that. Heck I knew a girl that didn't report any of her cash tips.

so let me get this right.. IF you make Millions in the stock market you should get a free pass.. but if you are a plumber or waitress youy should pay up?? OK....

[BleedOrange]

so let me get this right.. IF you make Millions in the stock market you should get a free pass.. but if you are a plumber or waitress youy should pay up?? OK....

I would venture to say a majority of waitresses have zero tax liability and a majority of plumbers effective tax rates are than the 15% capital gains rate. Your statement is specious at best. I am sure if you had your way 75% of the people would pay nothing and the remaining 25% would fund everyone else. I guess that your interpretation of "fairness". In case you weren't aware, the money being invested has already been taxed. How many time does it need to be taxed and at what rate? Lets make sure its high enough so no one wants to put their capital at risk and see where that gets us.

[Saggy Aggie]

She isn't contributing millions in investments either.

She needs to search around for a new job. Reporting 100% of tips? I've never heard of a manager being such a tightwad that they make their employees do that. Heck I knew a girl that didn't report any of her cash tips.

yeah she has to report every tip that she makes and it has to be 'approved by the manager' if it's more than 30%. Every 100$ in tips she makes, 3$ goes to the some community crap that then goes to bus boys and such.

[Black_Magic]

I would venture to say a majority of waitresses have zero tax liability and a majority of plumbers effective tax rates are than the 15% capital gains rate. Your statement is specious at best. I am sure if you had your way 75% of the people would pay nothing and the remaining 25% would fund everyone else. I guess that your interpretation of "fairness". In case you weren't aware, the money being invested has already been taxed. How many time does it need to be taxed and at what rate? Lets make sure its high enough so no one wants to put their capital at risk and see where that gets us.

Well Lets see why she is taxed at a low rate ( But Still higher than the Hedge fund manager who is a millionare )... She makes income that puts her right at or just above the POVERTY LEVEL.... Why are so many people there at the POVERY LEVEL??? NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT WORKING.. many folks are working thier buns off for very little pay. CEO Pay and Wall street folks are taking more and more of the pie. On top of that they pay LESS Percentage of thier income than the Plumber or Waitress! WOW!!! and you think thats Fair? Look. FACT is that the capital gains and the top marginal income rates are the lowest in the history of the US and have been for 10 years now thanks to BUSH.. SO , where are the Jobs?? Corporate profits are through the roof.. Why is it that workers are not getting payed more if Company profits are so high?? Because the CEOs and hedge fund folks are taking it all and on top of that BOUGHT Tea Party politicians to Keep thier taxes LOWER than the middle class... Class warfare??? Ha ha ha ha.. Poor old millionares.. getting picked on...

[BleedOrange]

Well Lets see why she is taxed at a low rate ( But Still higher than the Hedge fund manager who is a millionare )... She makes income that puts her right at or just above the POVERTY LEVEL.... Why are so many people there at the POVERY LEVEL??? NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT WORKING.. many folks are working thier buns off for very little pay. CEO Pay and Wall street folks are taking more and more of the pie. On top of that they pay LESS Percentage of thier income than the Plumber or Waitress! WOW!!! and you think thats Fair? Look. FACT is that the capital gains and the top marginal income rates are the lowest in the history of the US and have been for 10 years now thanks to BUSH.. SO , where are the Jobs?? Corporate profits are through the roof.. Why is it that workers are not getting payed more if Company profits are so high?? Because the CEOs and hedge fund folks are taking it all and on top of that BOUGHT Tea Party politicians to Keep thier taxes LOWER than the middle class... Class warfare??? Ha ha ha ha.. Poor old millionares.. getting picked on...

Now that's down right priceless but inaccurate. Please read my original post. The waitress most likely has an effective tax rate of 0% like approximately 50% of the country. So from your perspective the waitress should take more from others without any contribution. Everyone should contribute something. Why don't we all pay the same rate. Now that is the definition of "fair". What isn't fair is that 10% of the populace pays for the majority. I acknowledge there are those who need help but to rely on the Gov't for this purpose is pure lunacy. Keep the money in the private sector and the economy booms and donations/contributions to charitable organizations increase. These are the entities (churches, Red Cross, etc.) that provide the most help for those who are truly in need. As to demonizing corporate profits, I have never seen a job created without corporate profits involved at some level. Think about that one for a while and once you figure it out you may come back from the world of being an idealogue.