Where the money goes:
A month in the life of Johnny Grady Jr.

 

	TOM REESE / THE SEATTLE TIMES
	"I don't feel burdened. Honestly, I wish more taxes were collected so we could put more money into services, like the roads. I feel like taxes should correspond somehow with the services that are being provided."
	— Johnny Grady Jr.

Age: 26

What he does: University of Washington graduate student, studying forest-management policy; works part time for the U.S. Forest Service.

Residence: Rents U-District apartment

Family: Single

Annual income: About $16,000

Taxes paid in one month:
Sales tax: of $65.29 on $737.74 in purchases
Property tax: none
Gasoline tax: $7.14 on 31.075 gallons of gas ($46.09 worth)
Rental-car tax: $25.59 on a $263.86 rental bill (on which he paid sales tax as well)
Other taxes: $8.76 on phone bill, parking, movie tickets
One-month tax tab: $106.78
Annualized: $1,281.36
Fees and charges: $25 parking ticket; $100 fine for failure to register car; $25 driver's-license renewal; $81.75 in various car-registration fees.

Spending not taxed: $1,132.98
$425 rent
$199.40 groceries
$150.30 chiropractor bill
$145 church donations
$74.62 Oregon purchases that would have been taxable in Washington
$138.66 other

On taxes: "I don't feel burdened. Honestly, I wish more taxes were collected so we could put more money into services, like the roads. I feel like taxes should correspond somehow with the services that are being provided."

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