Quote:
Originally Posted by dogzilla
So why should anybody get to pay 0% in income tax if they have an income? What difference does it make whether they pay other taxes or not? If you want the benefits of a government then you should be contributing to that government if you have an income.
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If people are paying fed taxes in any manner they are "contributing to that government." For years the taxes on the fed level have been shifting from income tax to fees and item specific tax. Gas prices and state tax on that gas vary from state to state so I'm not sure there are numbers or studies that could be quoted but for the most part gas costs everyone (in a given area) the same amount. So if you have a family of four making 20K a year the % of their income spent on gas and it's taxes might be 10% or more. Now if you have the same family of four making 250K a year that % might be less then .05%. Does that sound like both families are paying their "fair share?"
This why wealthy people were pushing the idea of a flat tax not so long ago. I remember Dick Army speaking on a Sunday morning news show where he stated something to the effect of "if everyone just paid 2500 a year we could solve our budget problems." Ok, great... if you make 50K or more that would be fine. But if you make 10K a year you were probably struggling before but now you're no longer able to afford even the basics. Even if you worked it as a % and not a set amount. Most flat tax people used the number of 17% if I remember correctly. Most economists said it would more likely be closer to 25%. Either way it works great if you have expendable income... it completely screws those who do not.
I guess it all comes down to what is your definition of "fair share."