“It’s sad but true/ what the taxman has taken/from me and you.”

That rhythmic line sounds like it belongs in a country song. Perhaps, soon it will be, but it immediately brings to mind the popular Beatles song “Taxman.”

It hardly seems like 45 years since we first heard that grieving song lamenting the loss of one’s own earned income – taken by the “taxman.”

Yet, retrospectively, the song’s lyrics instruct all of us how progressive politicians everywhere have installed tax systems and enlisted armies of ‘“taxmen” to mercenarily soldier against citizens.

While government taxation started centuries before release of the “Taxman” song, the lyrics tell an all too true story about both the history and also warns of what would lie ahead.

Have you ever heard the song? Do you remember the worrisome lyrics?

Most of our parents (and some of us) were warned that the “taxman” would be coming for more, more, more.

The opening verse reflects the original income tax history:

“Let me tell you how it will be/There’s one for you, 19 for me/’Cause, I’m the taxman …”

To seed the inevitability of what was being done and tamp down justified grievance:

“Should five percent appear too small?/ Be thankful I don’t take it all/’Cause, I’m the taxman …”

Next, the lyrics move forward to reflect the relentless appetite for still more:

“If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street/Try to sit, I’ll tax your seat/If you get too cold, I’ll tax the heat!” 

How have taxpayers tried to cope through the years with taxman’s grotesque appetite? To make ends meet many citizens would try working twice as hard in order to increase their value on the job. To increase pay, others actively pursued working overtime. Still others picked up a second job.

But the “taxman” always took more.

As “the years fast did roll,” both parents began to work. Soon after, both parents had to work. The “taxman” liked that too because he could take from both yet, he still craved for more.

In their effort to cope with the growing impact of confiscatory taxes, individuals and families tried to innovate by starting home businesses, etc.

But, the “taxman code,” as currently established, is stacked against them under any circumstances. Regrettably, almost all now seem resigned to never gaining the upper hand versus the leviathan “taxman.”

Can the people still prevail? I believe so.

But how do we start?

It’s been said that in order to fix a problem properly it is wise to measure the size and scope. If you dare (and I hope you do) grab pencil and paper now.

What follows will enable you to begin to size, that is, measure what the income tax is doing to you and your family.

The “Tax Facts” exercise:

Draw five vertical lines to create six columns. Add horizontal lines to create rows as you proceed.

Set column headers from the left for: Year/ Job/ Company/ Annual Gross / Tax percentage / Net Income. (This is the basic starter matrix. You can add other columns later – as I do in special seminars.)

Beginning with your first job, full or part-time, record each job title and company name. Example: Jay Leno; “1968 – Crew Member – McDonalds.” (That’s a fact!)

If you held multiple jobs at different companies during any one year use that number of row entries. Continue through to present job and company. For longer term employment – since this is the basic starter matrix – any one entry can represent a career segment. Example: (AWOL) incumbent Fred Risser; “1962 – 2011 - State Senator – Wisconsin”. (That’s a fact, too!)

Next, record gross salary at each job – again, since this is the basic starter matrix - just use last salary data.

Next, enter your current tax rate percentage to get into the tax ballpark.

We’ll continue the “Tax Facts” exercise next time.

In the meantime, review my previous columns at www.baldwincountynow.com to research detail.

Richard Olivastro is president of Olivastro Communications and founder of Citizens for Change. A professional member of the National Speakers Association, he is available pro bono for charitable fundraisers and public forums and can be reached via e-mail RichOlivastro@gmail.com or by phone at 1-877-RichSpeaks.