POLL: Are You in Favor of a Flat Tax?

[EMPshockwave82]

Originally posted by: hjo3

Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82
Why not just do a sales tax on everything and get rid of income tax all together. Pay for what you USE not how much you make. This would encourage saving and help the poor while making those jackasses that buy 5 H1's pay huge sales tax on them.

You might already be aware of this, but that's basically how the FairTax plan works. Reward conservation, punish consumption over the level necessary for survival.

I did not know the name of the plan but I figured there HAD to be some plan associated with it. Seems the "fairest" form of taxation to me.


Nobody gives a SH!T though. This country isnt about being "fair" monetarily by any means.

 

[ShotgunSteven]

Originally posted by: blackllotus
A flat tax would hurt the poor

Oh really? I seem to recall that the one Steve Forbes proposed had the first $30,000.00 earned as tax free. How does that hurt the poor?

 

[senseamp]

Hell no, I don't want a 25% flat tax. Terrible idea that will only end up keeping the poor in the poor house. Of course that's the rightwing idea of "fair."

 

[senseamp]

Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82
Why not just do a sales tax on everything and get rid of income tax all together. Pay for what you USE not how much you make. This would encourage saving and help the poor while making those jackasses that buy 5 H1's pay huge sales tax on them.

The only thing a 25%+ sales tax is going to encourage is an underground economy.

 

[EMPshockwave82]

Originally posted by: senseamp

Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82
Why not just do a sales tax on everything and get rid of income tax all together. Pay for what you USE not how much you make. This would encourage saving and help the poor while making those jackasses that buy 5 H1's pay huge sales tax on them.

The only thing a 25%+ sales tax is going to encourage is an underground economy.

underground economy on electronics and stuff sure...... GL making an underground economy on the housing market. Or in automobile sales

 

[hjo3]

Originally posted by: ElFenix

Originally posted by: hjo3

i don't know why you think you could abolish the IRS. a sales tax doesn't exactly administer itself

The IRS doesn't really "administer" sales taxes -- state Departments of Revenue do. That's who businesses send combined excise tax returns to.

well not at the moment it sure doesn't as we don't have a national sales tax. but if we did have a national sales tax, you think the IRS wouldn't be in charge of it? you'd still have an agency administering the thing.

Why would they? The FairTax plan calls for state administration of the national tax. Which makes sense as they're more efficient and better at detecting fraud.

 

[hjo3]

Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82

Originally posted by: senseamp

Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82
Why not just do a sales tax on everything and get rid of income tax all together. Pay for what you USE not how much you make. This would encourage saving and help the poor while making those jackasses that buy 5 H1's pay huge sales tax on them.

The only thing a 25%+ sales tax is going to encourage is an underground economy.

underground economy on electronics and stuff sure...... GL making an underground economy on the housing market. Or in automobile sales

And people are much less likely to duck a sales tax than income taxes -- fraud in the first case results in someone losing their business license, in the second case it's (usually) merely a fine. Plus the people who commit that crime will eventually be paying sales tax anyway on consumer goods (unlike our current system, where people that escape income tax are freed of their major burden).

 

[vi edit]

With the disparity we have in incomes, someone is going to get screwed. Top, middle or bottom, somebody is going to get stuck with an unfair portion of the tab.

The other thing is that we need to do an objective comparison of *EFFECTIVE* tax levies.

Yeh, I'm in the 28% tax bracket, but really it's more like the 20% bracket after deductions/itemizations. When I was in the 15% bracket, it was more like 5% after deductions. It's sort of like sticker prices at a car dealer. You see that big number on the window...but nobody really ever pays that much.

If there is any complaint I have, it's with Social Security. I'd like to have more control over that % that is getting yanked out of my paycheck and likely to never be seen again. At least with the other taxes I have some ability to minimize them.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82
This country isnt about being "fair" monetarily by any means.

Yeah, we should all pool our money together and divide it equally.

We should come up with a name for this kind of economy. Give me a little bit and I'll think of a good one.....something that expresses community.....hmmm.......

 

[hjo3]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82
This country isnt about being "fair" monetarily by any means.

Yeah, we should all pool our money together and divide it equally.

We should come up with a name for this kind of economy. Give me a little bit and I'll think of a good one.....something that expresses community.....hmmm.......

:laugh:

 

[EMPshockwave82]

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor

Originally posted by: EMPshockwave82
This country isnt about being "fair" monetarily by any means.

Yeah, we should all pool our money together and divide it equally.

We should come up with a name for this kind of economy. Give me a little bit and I'll think of a good one.....something that expresses community.....hmmm.......

when did i say we should do that? good job reading into things and putting words in my mouth

EDIT:
and to explain myself. my intended statement was more related to politicians and how corrupt they are and how crappy the government is run. How much it caters to the rich and how little the average politician actually cares about the poor.

 

[Orsorum]

No. I never, honestly, thought I would say that.

However, I am also not in favor of a graduated tax system with extremely high marginal brackets. I don't see a need to put a cap on income like some would effectively want to do.

 

[Apex]

Originally posted by: brandonbull

Originally posted by: DougK62
Flat percentage taxing is the only fair way to go about it. Punishing people for being monetarily successful is just plain wrong, IMO.

unless we are in some commie eutopia, only a few people can be rich. someone has to pick up the garbage, pump septic tanks, pick fruit, etc. if people digging ditches are making tons of money, that means the rest of us are spending tons of money.

there is only so much wealth available and not everyone can have it.

Actually, this is only true in a non-growing isolated community. Our country is both growing and non-isolated.