I used the
Quicken Turbotax Tax Estimator. Both income levels were for married filing jointly with one dependent and no itemized deductions. The person paid $40,000 pays $3,638 in taxes (about 9.10%). The person paid $300,000 pays $88,092 in taxes (about 29.36%). If you lowered them both by 9.10%, the person at $40K pays no taxes while the person at 300K still pays $60,792 in taxes. So, who got the bigger tax break? Of course the 300K family did, but the 40K family is paying no taxes at all.
BTW, change the $40,000 income to $75,000 and what do you get? $10,800 in taxes (about 14.4%). Drop both tax rates by 14.4%, and 75K family pays nothing in taxes while 300K family still pays $44,892 in taxes.
I forgot the best part of the examples. Sample soundbites from the 75/300 two-person example:
Soundbite: Lewis' tax cut proposal gives 80% of of the tax cuts to the wealthy.
Facts: 75k saves $10,800. 300k saves $43,200. Total savings of $54,000. 75k got 20% of the $54,000 in tax cut. 300k got 80% of it. Soundbite is factual.
Fairness: Totally unfair. 75k no longer pays any taxes, and 300k still pays $44,892 in taxes; but I still look like a jerk.
Soundbite: Under the Lewis' tax cut proposal, the wealthy get a tax cut that is four times the size of the middle class.
Facts: 75k saves $10,800. 300k saves $43,200. $10,800 times 4 equals $43,200. Soundbite is factual.
Fairness: Totally unfair. 75k no longer pays any taxes, and 300k still pays $44,892 in taxes; but I still look like a jerk.
Do you see how easy it is to twist the facts using statistics?
Tax cuts can be across the board and still be fair.