VPA CMS News Blog

Does being unemployed mean I’m exempted to pay taxes?

A question most unemployed would want to be answered as a resounding YES. Unfortunately that is not the case. No one is exempted from paying taxes. The reason taxes are imposed so that the government will have a budget to beautify and put the country in order with the money from the citizens. Aside from that, public facilities like the parks, hospitals, free clinics are being put up to serve the community who has been paying their taxes promptly and honestly. unemployment benefits tax free is only imposed on the first $2400, the rest is considered taxable. I really don’t get the idea. I mean I don’t have a job anymore and then they are imposing tax on the only earnings I might receive?! With the prices going up and not going down, how can they expect me to pay my bills as well? do i pay state taxes on unemployment also? This is so frustrating. How can the government say that we can claim unemployment benefits when almost 40% of it goes back to them through taxes? To be honest, I am an unwilling participant on this whole situation. I do not have the right not to pay my taxes because definitely the IRS will track me down and have me arrested! I don’t think having to serve a sentence in prison will be very helpful in my resume. I want to make a suggestion to the government and hopefully, they will agree to it. How about imposing a slightly bigger tax to us when we get jobs? I mean you can set a percentage equivalent to the months or years that I don’t have a job. With that, I am capable of doing it rather than trying to get something from my very, very small unemployment benefits claim. I don’t think the unemployed sector would not mind as long as the ifs, what’s and how’s are resolved. For the time being, I need to pay my taxes.