Do you like the idea of a flat tax?

[GarlicGuy]

To me it seems like the most fair a tax system there could be, as long as there aren't loopholes for the rich.

Honestly, I would like to see a tax on everything we buy, but no other taxes.

[Kujako]

No, I think increasing the tax burden on the lower economic classes will not lead to good things happening.

[Deleted]

Hell yea!

But it still needs a tax free minimum or a livable minimum salary for all.

[twiddler]

I would appreciate the flat tax but I'm uncertain other individuals will profit from it as well.

[Deleted]

No, it punishes the poor far too much.

[Ayaz2810]

Taxes should be on a sliding scale based on net income and/or net worth. Only fair way I can think of.

[Deleted]

No, it punishes the poor far too much.

Nah with fair minimal salaries, it would be perfect.

In fact, I think people should be able to keep their income a secret cause it's not really anyones business. Taxes based on income are about as stupid as taxes based on someones girth or how much water they gulp down daily.

[Rassium]

Yeah! I love the idea that poor people are taxed more than rich people - gives them something to work for! Ron Paul!!!

[Deleted]

Nah with fair minimal salaries, it would be perfect.

In fact, I think people should be able to keep their income a secret cause it's not really anyones business. Taxes based on income are about as stupid as taxes based on someones girth or how much water they gulp down daily.

If I have 10 apples and you take 5, then I have 5 left. If someone else have 100 apples and you take 50, he still have 50 left. It punishes the one who has less, very harshly.

[Crissi]

Proportions are a thing. 10% of a yearly salary of 20k will hurt that person much more economically than 10% of 500k. So a flat tax isnt a fair tax.

[Flutterguy]

If I have 10 apples and you take 5, then I have 5 left. If someone else have 100 apples and you take 50, he still have 50 left. It punishes the one who has less, very harshly.

No one is endorsing a 50% flat tax.

[Deleted]

No one is endorsing a 50% flat tax.

... I never said they were. I was using that to demonstrate how it punishes the one who has less.

[Flutterguy]

... I never said they were. I was using that to demonstrate how it punishes the one who has less.

Actually you were wildly exaggerating by making the proportions bigger to make it look worse for the guy with 10 apples. Losing half is a huge amount.

15% would be 1.5 apples, a far cry from 5.

As far as I understand, a flat tax is one tax on your overall income, replacing the payroll. So that poor person was already paying 1.5 apples roughly.

[Revi]

To a degree. I'd support a flat tax above a certain income level, but not down to the bottom earners.

[Deleted]

Actually you were wildly exaggerating by making the proportions bigger to make it look worse for the guy with 10 apples. Losing half is a huge amount.

15% would be 1.5 apples, a far cry from 5.

No, I wasn't. I was using it as an example to show that the one with less loses more relative to what they have than someone who has more.

[TwoNineMarine]

Someone proposed a flat tax on goods. IE no income tax. Purely a tax on things you buy from stores.

I like that idea personally. I do wonder if it's actually feasible though. I don't know enough about economics or how much that could actually generate. It would be cool to see someone who did the math though.

[Visian]

It wouldn't work out for quite a few reasons, the main being that it wouldn't change anything for the wealthy who are the ones skirting the system as it is. For the most part the wealthy make close to zero salary income which is the only thing that would be tweaked by going to a flat tax system. All of their investments and property holdings which is where their income comes from are taxed completely differently, in fact those are on a flat tax rate already.

Just remember when Romney was running it was widely publicized that he was just below 15% (cap gains tax rate) while most people on salary are taxed at least two times that rate.

[drwelfare]

I like a national sales tax more, get something from those not getting money on the books

[Flutterguy]

There needs to be capital gains taxes. Most super-wealthy people don't have an income, they live from interest rates and other forms of income that aren't subject to income taxes.

The poor should be taxed a lot less proportionaly than the rich. Same should apply to fines being proportionate to income and capital gains.

Every time they've raised capital gains, it's hurt revenue. They even tried a luxury tax in the 90s and repealed it because of the economic damage it did.

Rich people don't become rich by blowing all their cash. If you tax it more, they spend less to compensate and it hurts everyone else that relies on the spending they do. There's a balance. The rich pay most of the taxes in this country.

[Symphonic]

Hell yea!

But it still needs a tax free minimum or a livable minimum salary for all.

Agreed. Like, say, if you make 40,000 or lower as a family, (or maybe 50-60k, who knows) you shouldn't pay any taxes, and maybe still have a couple brackets, but let them be flat, no deductions allowed. If you make say, 200,000 a year, perhaps your flat rate is 10%. If you make 500,000+ maybe 15% flat tax, and if you make over a million a year, could be even higher.