To educate the editorial board of the Post-Dispatch and to inform its readers, the following tax analysis is provided to refute that "Missouri.........shamelessly tax the working poor" as propounded in the "Sharing the load" editorial. It is true that the single-parent family of three earning less than $17,374 would have to pay Missouri income tax of $218 but this is a pittance relative to the value of benefits provided by the non-poor taxpayers.

For 2010, a single parent with two children earning $17,243 would have a single exemption of $2,100, dependent exemption of $2,400, and a standard deduction of $5,700 resulting in taxable income of $7,173 and Missouri income tax of $218. This tax pales in comparison to the tax-free earned income credit of $2,902 and the value of other benefits (food stamps, school and/or child care meals, Medicaid, etc.) borne by the non-poor taxpayer.

Rather than playing the "shame" game with distorted facts, the Post-Dispatch must be thourough and objective. At a minimum, when attempting to make a point about taxation, cite taxable income rather than earnings.

Thomas A. Grunzinger

Frontenac