Nearly Half the Cost of a Thanksgiving Dinner Comes From Taxes

By Peter Roff, Thomas Jefferson Street blog

Thanksgiving is a time for family and for reflection, a time to kick back and consider all the ways in which we, as Americans, have been blessed over the previous year. Now, just in time for the holiday the folks at the Americans for Tax Reform Foundation have released a mini-study pointing out one way in which we can be "unthankful."

According to them, nearly half the cost of a typical Thanksgiving dinner for 10 people is taxes. Using figures provided by the American Farm Bureau Federation, ATRF's Center for Fiscal Responsibility has determined the typical tax bite comes to just under 41 percent of the total cost of the meal.

"You probably wouldn't have thought so, but whether you want it or not, Uncle Sam is dining with you on Thanksgiving. The reason is that out of what you pay, the producers and sellers must pay a whole host of taxes not showing up on your bill and these hidden taxes add up to a whopping 40.91 percent," ATR Foundation President Grover G. Norquist said. "And that's only if your family does not have to drive or fly to get to the Thanksgiving party, or stay at a hotel—as domestic airfare, gasoline, and hotel stays have their own 'tax bites,' which are even bigger than the bite the government takes out of your Thanksgiving meal."

Happy eating.

• Check out our political cartoons.
• Become a political insider: Subscribe to U.S. News Weekly, our digital magazine.
• Follow the Thomas Jefferson Street blog on Twitter.