Tax Brackets?

Let's imagine that you graduated with a bachelors degree and manage to find a job. If you're like me, you are worth minimum wage or $4.35-plus-tips. During my first full year in Chicago I made $12,000. When April 14th, 11pm rolled around I realized I owed Illinois some money. How could this be? I was barely making rent, and I was certainly not making credit card payments or turning on the heat.


Well, it turns out that Illinois doesnt have tax brackets. What the crap does that mean? How could something I had never cared about piss me off so much?


If you've experienced a similar problem it's because your friends, the ones making a killing working in an office that has a stocked fridge and a Wii, pay the same state taxes you do. What about the people Down State? The poorest farmers and gas station attendants in Jasper have the same tax rate as the restaurant owners in the Gold Coast. The grandmother running a taqueria in Pilsen pays the same percentage as Oprah.

"Really? That blows," you say. I know, it doesn't seem fair. That's largely due to the fact that IT'S NOT.

So, employed or not, write about it. Let's kvetch, bitch, and share.