May 4, 2006 11:12AM 

# Why Can’t Suri Laugh? 

By [Michael F. Cannon](https://www.cato.org/people/michael-f-cannon) 

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Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes (AKA TomKat) had a [baby](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,192225,00.html) last month, Suri Holmes. Apropos, this week the Medicare program’s public trustees [reported](http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/TRSUM/trsummary.html) that even though only 7 percent of TomKat’s federal income taxes now go toward Medicare, when Suri turns 15 years old, 25 percent of the federal income taxes levied on her modeling earnings will go straight to Medicare. By the time Suri turns 25 years old, 40 percent of the federal income taxes levied on her book deal will help finance Medicare benefits for her dear old dad, who will then be 68 years old.

##### Related Tags 

[Education](https://www.cato.org/education), [General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Health Care](https://www.cato.org/health-care), [Tax and Budget Policy](https://www.cato.org/tax-budget-policy), [Center for Educational Freedom](https://www.cato.org/center-educational-freedom) 

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