The Poor pay More in Taxes than the Rich

[hcap]

Contrary to this boards usual song and dance, these are the facts:

http://motherjones.com/kevin-drum

Still and all, it's true that the federal income tax is indeed progressive. Conservatives are right about that—though it's not as progressive as it used to be, back before top marginal rates were lowered and capital gains taxes were slashed in half. But conservatives are a little less excited to talk about other kinds of taxes. Payroll taxes aren't progressive, for example. In fact, they're actively regressive, with the poor and middle classes paying higher rates than the rich.

And then there are state taxes. Those include state income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, and fees of various kinds. How progressive are state taxes?

Answer: They aren't. The Corporation for Enterprise Development recently released a scorecard for all 50 states, and it has boatloads of useful information.

http://scorecard.assetsandopportunit...e-area/finance

That includes overall tax rates, where data from the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy shows that in the median state (Mississippi, as it turns out) the poorest 20 percent pay twice the tax rate of the top 1 percent. In the worst states, the poorest 20 percent pay five to six times the rate of the richest 1 percent. Lucky duckies indeed. There's not one single state with a tax system that's progressive. Check the table below to see how your state scores.

[Tom]

What is more, hcap....

2% of $200,000
or 20% of $10,000

Spin all you want, the top 2% pay MOST.

[DJofSD]

Liberals just love OPM.

[hcap]

Originally Posted by Tom

What is more, hcap....

2% of $200,000
or 20% of $10,000

Spin all you want, the top 2% pay MOST.

According to you guys the poor are simply free loaders and anchors. It now is obvious that they pay more as a percentage of income than the rich.

As far as the amount in terms of absolute dollars, what are you suggesting? Everyone in the country pay one fixed amount, say 15,000? 50,000?

So now the conservative argument is no longer the oft repeated babble about 47% of the country PAY NO TAXES, to the poor pay an absolute dollar amount much less than the rich ??

[LottaKash]

Well Hcap, get your sleepin'-bag, and tent pegs, cause it's back to the park and occupyin' for you....Right ?....you'll be there, at least in spirit...

The nerve of some people using the proper tax codes to conduct their business....

Shame on people with kash....Occupy "NOW"....

[ArlJim78]

state and local governments are more responsible and fair, that is why they don't have progressive tax systems. that stuff sells at the federal level only.

why don't liberals ever pick up on the real story that is sitting right in front of their faces? there are too many taxes and government spends too much. when liberals report on the high tax burden their only concern is that someone else should pay for it, not that the overall burden is too high.

if we're going to have class warfare and fairness, then the first thing that has to happen is the public unions must give up their big benefits to bring their compensation in line with the private sector. it's not fair that we pay taxes to fund their lavish packages while our benefits have been hacked to pieces over the years. let's see some coverage of that injustice.

[hcap]

Originally Posted by LottaKash

Well Hcap, get your sleepin'-bag, and tent pegs, cause it's back to the park and occupyin' for you....Right ?....you'll be there, at least in spirit...

The nerve of some people using the proper tax codes to conduct their business....

Shame on people with kash....Occupy "NOW"....

So apparently the Occupy Movement is based on facts. And the babble re: The poor are freeloaders is unmitigated crap

[delayjf]

Not it terms of Federal Taxation - The rich pays the bills. Just because sales taxes etc are not progressive doesn't mean the rich aren't paying more. Post some numbers as total revenue paid for by the rich / poor.

How do you implement a progressive sales tax??

[rastajenk]

You get your 1040 line 37 amount tattooed to your forehead, I s'pose.

[Tom]

We have known we needed tax law reform for years now.
Why has this not been addressed the by dems, who had it all for two years?

Maybe because GE, who paid no taxes, is a huge Obama contributor?
I also remind you that those so-called Bush tax cuts for the rich cut the bottom group by 50%. You always forget that.

[badcompany]

What about deductions, like the Earned Income Credit, and Dependent Exemptions?

The Dependent exemption is a fixed amount, but, obviously, someone who sends their kids to Private School is spending more on their kids then their public school counterpart.

Also, many deductions have "phase out" amount. If you make over a certain amount, you can't take the deduction.

[johnhannibalsmith]

Originally Posted by delayjf

Not it terms of Federal Taxation - The rich pays the bills. Just because sales taxes etc are not progressive doesn't mean the rich aren't paying more. Post some numbers as total revenue paid for by the rich / poor.

How do you implement a progressive sales tax??

Thanks for pointing out the obvious. I'm guessing the moral of the story is that we need to overcomplicate what is an already overreaching burden by making every tax/fee progressive?

I scrolled around the site and it appears you (hcap) have most if not all of that blog entry quoted - it seems rather cheesy to repeatedly use the phrase 'tax rate' when by all accounts the data is 'tax/fees as a percentage of income'.

It's not enough to potentially pay more (progressive) in property tax based on a system that demands a percentage of the value of a home, now that should be adjusted based upon income also? Am I understanding the idea/complaint posed originally? You need to swipe your national identification card with your vitals (income being most important in 2020) at the register to see if a loaf of bread costs nine cents or nine dollars? Auto registration is first based upon the vehicle, then based upon the driver? Fishing license, dog tags, building permits, etc etc etc etc etc etc etc etc...

Sounds like it would just be easier to give government all of our money right up front and then when they get through turning it into mere paper, we just all get the same measly allowance and say an amen for never having to worry about what the future may hold.

[LottaKash]

Originally Posted by hcap

So apparently the Occupy Movement is based on facts. And the babble re: The poor are freeloaders is unmitigated crap

"Many", but not all, of the poor are freeloaders....You don't see their fraud ?

For a bright guy, that you don't see that this is true, well, it escapes me about you....

In all fairness Hcap, unless you admit, that at least some of this is true, well, you will never the get the full respect that you think you deserve....

"Couldn't possibly be", that's you...I see this...

best,

[badcompany]

Originally Posted by LottaKash

"Many", but not all, of the poor are freeloaders....You don't see their fraud ?

For a bright guy, that you don't see that this is true, well, it escapes me about you....

In all fairness Hcap, unless you admit, that at least some of this is true, well, you will never the get the full respect that you think you deserve....

"Couldn't possibly be", that's you...I see this...

best,

The problem with Liberals is not intelligence. It's emotional maturity. They just never grow up.

[PaceAdvantage]

Originally Posted by johnhannibalsmith

Sounds like it would just be easier to give government all of our money right up front and then when they get through turning it into mere paper, we just all get the same measly allowance and say an amen for never having to worry about what the future may hold.

Thanks for the morning laugh!!

Sadly, the above would signal the arrival of utopia to some on here...