I Agree With This
Via Maggie’s Farm, here’s a succinct post that talks about one of the biggest ‘silent’ problems our Republic currently faces: 50% of the population doesn’t pay taxes.
My Bride and I have been bothered by this for quite a while. Everyone needs to have some ownership, a stake in the game.
Morality, Nanny State, Politics | Mr. Bingley | 
July 11, 2011 8:38 am
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I agree. Some radio guy, I forget who, was calling for a flat, but not very high percentage, tax, BUT that every American paid that percentage. Because then, maybe, when Congress wanted to raise taxes, there’d be more of a “whoa, wait a minute” and less of a “sure, soak the rich” attitude.
This is a major reason why I’d like to smack every Congresscritter with a clue-by-four. It’s INSANE that half of America pays for this country. Including most, if not all, of the other half.
Shhh, you can’t talk about that all you rich elitists, Everybody paying a share? Now that’s just crazy talk! And it’s RACIST! At least someone will say it is by some insane logic.
Me, I’d like to make voting contingent on tax-paying. No pay, no vote. The mice have no business belling the cat.
I’m guessing that percentage not paying anything also changes the validity of the whole “lowest taxes as a percent of GDP” talking point too, but I haven’t run the numbers. Even if it doesn’t raise a lot of revenue, I agree that everybody should have a stake.
Look at it another way: about a third of the workforce is government, which means the private sector worker is paying for them, welfare leeches and those who don’t pay income tax. Feel better now?
Well, I’ve never been one to talk about personal finances in public, but since I’m anonymous to everyone but Mr. Bingley, here’s my 2010 data.
I live in PA.
My city charges a flat income tax of .1%.
My state charges a more complicated income tax. No idea what my bracket is.
My country charges a ridiculously complicated income tax, full of loopholes. No idea what my bracket is.
I’m a father of 4, 28 years left on the ~240K 30-year mortgage, and we give 10% of after-tax income to charities. Married filing jointly. My wife stays at home with the kids. I use turbotax, not a clever accountant.
2010 total income: $100K (wages, interest).
City taxes paid for 2010: $991
State taxes paid for 2010: $3046
Property taxes: $4604
Social Security: $6187
Medicare: $1447
Fed taxes paid for 2010: $2554
While I pay 19% of my income in total taxes, I’m in a 2.5% federal income tax bracket. I’m too young to ever see a dime from social security or medicare, so maybe I should think of it as a 10% federal tax bracket. But still, that’s ridiculously low.
I’d like to think it’s because I’m (a) supporting 4 kids who are going to be paying taxes some day; and (b) giving 10% of after-tax income to the charities I like (such as homes that help pregnant unmarried high-school dropouts get a GED and learn job and parenting skills), rather than giving it to Uncle Sam so that he can give it to the “charities/social programs” he likes (which curiously don’t seem to emphasize gaining parenting and job skills).
If I felt like my tax money was going to make the country better, I’d feel bad for not being asked to pay more.
Curious, though, how effective my city’s 0.1% flat-tax is.
Actually, Mike, I think if you look at your taxable net income you’re in a higher bracket. Back out all the various deductions (property taxes, interest on your mortgage, kiddies, yada-yada)
Wow Mike you must have a lot of deductions, I don’t and Uncle Sam got considerably more than 2.5% of my income by at least an order of magnitude.