American taxpayers worked until April 30 before they earned enough money to satisfy the rapacious demands of federal, state and local tax collectors. This is discouraging, but Americans should be grateful that they don’t live in Canada. The Fraser Institute has revealed that the average Canadian worked until June 20 before quenching the appetites of the political class. Taxpayers in Newfoundland and Labrador are still working as serfs for government. Their tax freedom day won’t arrive until July 1:

Starting tomorrow, Canadians have paid off the total tax bill imposed on them by government and can finally start working for themselves, according to The Fraser Institute’s annual Tax Freedom Day calculations. “If you look at the average Canadian family’s total tax bill, each and every dollar they earn before June 20 would be required to pay the taxes owing to all levels of government. It takes until June 20 before they begin earning money for themselves,” said Niels Veldhuis, The Fraser Institute’s Director of the Centre for Tax Studies. …This year Tax Freedom Day falls four days earlier than in 2006. The latest Tax Freedom Day in Canadian history was in 2000, when it fell on June 25. Tax Freedom Day moved forward to June 17 in 2001 before steadily retreating to June 24 in 2005 and 2006. “Even with the recent improvements, Tax Freedom day still falls almost two months later than in 1961, the earliest year for which we have calculations,” Veldhuis said. …Tax Freedom Day varies from province to province, depending on the taxation levels of each provincial government. Alberta enjoys the earliest Tax Freedom Day on June 1, followed by New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island (June 14), BC and Manitoba (June 16), Ontario and Nova Scotia (June 19), and Saskatchewan (June 22). Quebec has the second-latest Tax Freedom Day, on June 26, while Newfoundland and Labrador wait the longest, until July 1.