TAXES: Headline was misleading

The headline on Alecia Warren’s article in the January 3rd edition, “A taxing question: Employers look at how to pass cost on to employees,” casts a negative slant on employers regarding the payroll tax. Let’s be clear. Employers aren’t “passing on” the cost of taxes now that the payroll tax “holiday” has expired. The federal government taxes employees and requires employers to collect those taxes from the employees’ paychecks. The government also requires employers to kick in an equal amount of the payroll tax at their own expense.

Since the article itself did not reflect negatively on the businesses interviewed, one can only assume the headline was poorly conceived. Businesses are under enough duress in today’s economic and political climate without sloppy headline writing adding to the mix. We can do better than this, folks.

NORMA WHITE

Athol