As Canadians diligently complete their tax returns, many will come to the shocking realization of just how much income tax they paid last year. Somehow, the amount of income tax displayed on our pay stubs does not seem nearly as bad as when it's neatly summed up on our income tax returns.

Of course, there are many of us who happily pay our income tax, thinking of the numerous government programs that our tax dollars finance, like health care, education, the military, and so on. But the question all Canadian taxpayers must answer for themselves is whether or not we are getting our money's worth for the taxes we pay. To answer this question, however, Canadians must have an accurate picture of their total tax bill. For this, Canadians must look well beyond their income tax returns.

The reality is that income taxes form only a portion of the total tax bill imposed on us by all levels of government. In 2009, the average Canadian family (families and unattached individuals) earned approximately $69,175 in income and paid $9,341 in income taxes, representing 13.5 per cent of their income. While personal income taxes are the single largest tax Canadians pay, they represent only about one-third of our total tax bill.

Two other significant taxes that we deal with on our tax returns are the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Employment Insurance (EI). In addition, residents of British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec also pay health care taxes through either direct premiums or payroll taxes. All told, the average Canadian family paid some $6,074 in CPP, EI, and health taxes in 2009. Payroll taxes are second only to income taxes as the single largest government levy.

There are two other relatively visible taxes that we pay, thankfully not at the same time as our income tax bill: property taxes and sales taxes. The average Canadian family paid about $2,834 in property taxes in 2009. One of the common misconceptions is that only homeowners pay property taxes. The truth of the matter is that property taxes for renters are included in their monthly rent, so in one way or another we all pay property taxes. For homeowners, at least the cost of property taxes is transparent since we each receive an annual bill.

Sales taxes are visible whenever we make a purchase upon which the tax is applied. Calculating the amount of sales taxes paid, however, is difficult in that it requires people to track all of their purchases of taxable goods and services. Our estimates indicate that the average Canadian family pays about $4,260 a year in sales taxes.

In addition to personal income taxes, payroll taxes, property taxes, and sales taxes, which are all visible to a certain degree, there are a host of taxes that we pay but do not see. For instance, average Canadian families paid approximately $2,484 in profit taxes in 2009. Taxes on liquor, tobacco, and amusement amounted to $1,757 for the average Canadian family, while automobile and gas taxes totalled about $749. Finally, average Canadian families were assessed about $272 in import duties in 2009, another cost which is not easily discernable.

Summed up, the average Canadian family faced a tax bill of $28,878 in 2009 against income of $69,175. The total taxes imposed on the average Canadian family consumed 41.7 per cent of income.

But that's not where it ends. Most federal and provincial governments are running budget deficits, which means that the current taxes are not sufficient to cover current government spending. By running substantial budget deficits, Canadian governments of today are putting off the tax bills that will inevitably come due. If we include deferred taxation (deficits), the total tax bill of the average Canadian family is actually $31,714. This means that Canadian families are facing a future tax bill on an additional $2,836.

It is critical that Canadians understand that the taxes delineated on our income tax returns represent less than half of our total tax bill. Understanding our total tax bill will enable each of us to better assess whether or not we, as taxpayers, are receiving value-for-money. Our hope is that such understanding will lead to more pressure for real and meaningful tax relief for Canadians in the future. At the very least, we should be able to hold our politicians much more accountable for the resources they extract from us.