More on Joe the Plumber October 16, 2008 Gerald Prante Gerald Prante Joe the Plumber is the topic of discussion today in American politics following last night's debate. After asking Sen. Obama a question on the campaign trail about how Obama's tax plan would affect him, only to get a response that included "share the wealth," Samuel Joseph Wurzelbacher is in the midst of his fifteen minutes of fame. John McCain brought up the man's name in last night's debate to explain why voters should support his tax plan. Whether he would pay more in taxes under McCain's tax plan or Obama's tax plan when making $280,000 (assuming that's AGI) is unclear given the complexity of the tax system and the candidates' tax plans (in addition to their health care plans). It is most likely, however, that he would face a higher marginal tax rate under Obama than McCain, meaning additional income going forward would be taxed more under Obama than McCain. But it turns out that maybe it doesn't matter to Joe. It turns out that Joe may actually owe back taxes in his home state of Ohio. Here's the Politico: Joe the Plumber really is no fan of paying taxes. According to records from the Lucas County (OH) Court of Common Pleas found by my colleague Avi Zenilman, Samuel J. Wurzelbacher has a lien placed against him to the tune of $1,182.92. The lien is dated from January of '07. Stay informed on the tax policies impacting you. Subscribe to get insights from our trusted experts delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe Share Tweet Share Email Topics Center for Federal Tax Policy Scoring Campaign Proposals