Happy Tax Day. Are we getting our money’s worth?

Here comes Americans’ favorite day – April 15, Tax Day! In the land of “No taxation without representation,” we Americans throw a fit over how much we fork over to the government, which taps into related complaints over government waste, budget deficits and more.

Considering how much we focus on the amounts we pay in taxes, you would think more people would also shine a spotlight on what we get in return. A thorough tax analysis would need to create a two-sided ledger, in which all the support and services Americans receive are listed on one side, and the amount of taxes and any additional out-of-pocket expenses, fees and surcharges we pay are listed on the other.