Friday, April 15, 2022

Good Friday - Good Taxman: 'I Am With You Always'

 In Christianity, Easter is a joyful day to mark the miracle of Jesus’ resurrection and it is widely celebrated throughout the world.

For many non-Christians, it marks a time where chocolate eggs become a festive treat to be eaten throughout the day.

Easter reminds us that hope must never be lost for as dark as the road may seem, there always lies light at the end of it


America’s Highest Earners and Their Taxes Revealed

ProPublica: “Secret IRS files reveal the top US income-earners and how their tax rates vary more than their incomes. Tech titans, hedge fund managers and heirs dominate the list, while the likes of Taylor Swift and LeBron James didn’t even make the top 400. Which people and professions rake in the most income year after year? Which are most adept at shielding that money from the taxman? And what does this tell you about America? The top earners, of course, are often fodder for lists — but those are usually based on estimates or even speculation. A trove of IRS data obtained by ProPublica has the definitive answers, revealing the incomes and tax rates of the 400 Americans with the highest incomes from 2013 to 2018. It took an average of $110 million per year in income to crack that list — with plenty of names you would expect and some that may surprise you. We’ll also show how much the 400 paid in federal income taxes. (ProPublica is naming the 15 highest income earners, along with an assortment that represent income patterns that we’ve identified.) In theory, our tax system is designed to tax the rich at higher rates than everyone else. That’s not the way it works at the loftiest incomes. The data reveals a system where the very highest earners, on average, pay far lower tax rates than the merely affluent do. And even among the top 400, some groups have it better than others: Tech billionaires pay rates well below even other business owners. We sought comment from every person named in this story. Most did not respond or declined to comment. See their responses. In an era of widening gaps between the rich and everyone else, ProPublica’s analysis shows that the U.S. tax system is making inequality worse. Let’s walk you through the world of the highest-earning Americans.

Dust Storm by Steve McCurry

“Taxman” (Sam’s Version)

By Sam Brunson

Almost seven years ago(!), Leandra wrote about the Beatles’s “Taxman” to celebrate its 50th anniversary. At around the same time, I tried to figure out and record the song.

At the time, unfortunately, neither my playing nor my recording chops were up to the challenge. Over the pandemic, though, I spent some time and money on instruments and recording equipment and have gotten a lot better at it.

So about a week ago, I decided to record a version of “Taxman.” I listened around to various versions and ended up modeling my version largely on the recording by Bill Wyman’s Rythm Kings (and, to a lesser extent, Soulive).

I’m not quite sure I’m done yet; I’m tempted to add a horn section to the recording. But, in the meantime, here’s my recording: 

In large part, I’ve been recording to make TikToks. Originally the goal with TikTok was to embarrass my kids by playing songs that middle-aged dads really shouldn’t be playing, but they weren’t embarrassed so my goal shifted to playing fun songs that people like.

I’ll probably eventually film some stuff and put together a “Taxman” TikTok but, in the meantime, I hope you enjoy my tax-themed music!

To the extent you’re interested, I programmed the drums and did the recording in Studio One. I played the bass and organ on my Yamaha electric piano, using the organ sound from a Roland JV-1010. I recorded all of the melody and harmony parts on my Akai EWI 4000s. And the tenor sax solo is on my tenor.


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