State and federal governments impose a variety of taxes that go largely unnoticed but can add up to significant sums. Taxes on gas, tobacco, and alcohol are not seen by consumers, but are paid by them because they are “hidden” in the price. Telephone and electric bills also include a variety of taxes that are unfamiliar to citizens, yet generate millions of dollars.
When people “talk taxes,” they usually refer to property or income taxes, and occasionally sales taxes. That is not surprising as these three account for the vast majority of Wisconsin taxes paid.
However, citizens pay many other federal, state, and local taxes or fees nearly every day that go unseen because they are embedded in the price, or because they are small relative to the “big three.”
Such “hidden” taxes collectively generate significant amounts of money and deserve more than passing attention.