As taxes go, I prefer lower to higher, fewer to many, one to a few, and . . . none to any. But if I had to choose just one to pay, would I want it to be a consumer sales tax, a property tax, or an income tax?

There are plusses for each, minuses for all. No matter what tax you talk about, there’s always somebody taking money from you. But I guess the income tax can be the most maddening.

I bet Brian Emmett, no matter his politics, would likely agree.

You see, for a moment last year, Mr. Emmett thought his knowledge had paid off. He took an online quiz on Java computer code, and won. A free trip into outer space! Courtesy of Oracle, the database company.

Space tourism has really taken off. My goodness, some people now get into space by winning prizes.

But not Mr. Emmett. He figured that, between the state of California and the IRS, government wanted over 40 percent of the value of his prize. He would have to go $25,000 into debt to shoot into space. He wasn’t willing to do that. So he forfeited his prize.

He had dreamed of going into space all his life. But he didn’t want to have his taxes go out of this world with him.

What a pity! What a crime! Mr. Emmett’s short never-taken space trip? Something worth thinking about the next time politicians talk about spending more money or raising taxes.

This is Common Sense. I’m Paul Jacob.