Do You Know Where Your Tax Money is Going?

Today is tax day, which is usually greeted with the same feeling of morbid certainty as death.

While doing taxes at the last minute can certainly kill your free time, many are also haunted by the spectre of doubt as to whether or not the people's tax dollars are going to the right place. 

This year, in an attempt to show taxpayers where their money is going, the White House is providing on their website a taxpayer receipt tool that helps users see dollar and percentage breakdowns of how their annual tax bill was spent, based on annual income. 

Users can also enter specific data from their tax return to get a more precise breakdown.

For taxpayers of every income, the percentage spent on the income tax categories will be the same, but it should be noted that the amount spent on Social Security and Medicare versus the amount spent on income taxes can vary greatly for taxpayers depending on their income level.

According the most recent available census data, the median household in Los Angeles earned $48,570 per year. That means half of Los Angeles' residents earned more than that amount, while the other half earned less.

Neighborhood-specific income figure's aren't available through the most recent census, but data from the year 2000 indicates that Eagle Rock residents earn about the same as the city median.

The example below provides a breakdown of how the tax dollars of a single-child family earning $50,000 a year would be spent.

According the receipt, this household would pay a total of $4,085, of which $3,100 would go to Social Security taxes, $725 would go to Medicare taxes, and $260 would go to income tax.

Here's a breakdown of how those $260 in income taxes would be distributed.

On the White House page, some of the above categories are broken down into greater detail, allowing you to view subcategories.