[Congressional Record Volume 158, Number 27 (Friday, February 17, 2012)]
[House]
[Page H929]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  SNEAKY HIDDEN TAXES ON FLYING PUBLIC

  (Mr. POE of Texas asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. POE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, for years the Federal Government keeps 
sneaking taxes into airline tickets. The airlines cannot put on the 
ticket all those hidden taxes because the law won't let them do so. For 
example, when you buy a product, normally you know how much the product 
is and then you know how much the taxes are, but not so with airlines.
  Here's a typical ticket, Mr. Speaker. It starts out with $200 that's 
going to the airline, but the Federal Government sneaks in at least 11 
taxes, raising the price to $374.95. Almost another half of the ticket 
is Federal taxes. That doesn't even count four more taxes they add on 
to the airlines.
  The airline, when they make the ticket, all you see is the $374.95 
because the law won't let the airlines tell the truth about the 
taxation of our government. When more taxes are added, the ticket price 
continues to go up. Congressman Graves from Georgia has introduced 
legislation to stop this nonsense.
  Let's have transparency. Let's see how much those taxes are on an 
airline ticket. It's time we stop the hide-and-seek with taxpayer 
taxes.
  And that's just the way it is.

                       The Actual Airline Ticket

       Original Price of Ticket is $200.00
       Plus Government Taxes:
       Passenger Flight-Segment Tax = $3.80
       International Departure Tax (IDT) = $16.70
       International Arrival Tax (IAT) = $16.70
       Passenger Facility Charge (PFC) (maximum) = $4.50
       September 11th Fee = $2.50
       APHIS Passenger Fee = $5.00
       APHIS Aircraft Fee = $70.75
       Customs and Border Protection = $5.50
       Immigration and Customs Enforcement User Fee = $7.00
       Passenger Ticket (Excise) Tax = 7.5% ($15.00)
       Frequent-Flyer Tax (on sale of right to award miles) = 7.5% 
     ($15.00)
       Cargo Waybill Tax = 6.25% ($12.50)
       Total: $174.95
       Total Price of Ticket Is $374.95

                          ____________________