Public servants and taxation

I want to be clear about this topic, I am asking a specific question here.
This isn't a topic about the size of government and/or the tax rate.
Nor am I demeaning anyone's profession or career.
But, how can a police officer or a member of the armed forces pay taxes?
They get 100% of their salary from the government, so where does their tax come from?
I'm not talking about additional jobs they have, but their main job.
Similarly, if someone is employed in the private sector, but that company works wholly and exclusively for the government, how can that person pay taxes. As all the revenue that flows into the company to pay their salary comes from the government.

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MistyCee

I kind of like the idea that the government can participate in the economy as an employer and that government employees and contractors also participate through taxation.

I get the conflict of interest issue, but I still kind of like having a conflict as opposed to there being no conflict and public "servants" having no "skin in the game."

SomeMichGuy · M

@MistyCee What conflict of interest?

There is one employer's circular setting the withholding tables, etc., not a different circular for government employees v. non-government employees.

Ontheroad · M

I always wondered about that. Each month for over twenty years i looked at my LES (pay stb in the Army) and chuckled at the line (Federal tax line) that showed i was in part paying so I could get paid. At least they stopped the taxes while I was deployed in a combat zone. That was something.

Wol62 · 51-55, M

@Ontheroad The honest answer is that you didn't pay tax. But then neither do people in companies that only make equipment for the military.

SomeMichGuy · M

@Wol62 The HONEST answer is that he DID get a reduced paycheck *because* of withholding for the income tax.

This is like everyone else.

Also, like everyone else, he filled out a yearly tax form to figure out if he gave up too much (and so gets a refund) or not enough (and so owes $ from whst he *did* receive).

Why do you think that this is different because they work for the government?

th3r0n · 41-45, M

I don’t disagree, sadly government wants all the money it can take, even from its own workers

Wol62 · 51-55, M

@th3r0n But how can it take money that it gave them?

th3r0n · 41-45, M

@Wol62 greed

th3r0n · 41-45, M

@Wol62 I do computer work for state government and they’ve been really nice to me, but the federal government seems to very frighteningly greedy

PicturesOfABetterTomorrow · 41-45, M

Well the last one is easy. The government is just picking up the tab for their R & D but their profits are something separate. And a private company that works exclusively for one government don't really exist.

SomeMichGuy · M

They pay taxes like everyone else--they give a fraction of their income to the governments under which they live.

How is this difficult to understand?

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