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Would a simpler, flat tax system be better? Because the progressive one always has special cases: tax is 30% for under 100k profit, then it becomes 40% but you
by nickpp 16y ago
Would a simpler, flat tax system be better?
Because the progressive one always has special cases: tax is 30% for under 100k profit, then it becomes 40% but you don't pay tax if you reinvest in factories or if you put it into your retirement account, or... etc. Where there are complex rules there is abuse.
How about let's just say 20% tax for everybody on any money earned (profit). No exceptions for the poor, no extra taxes for the rich. Would that work? I think it would at least prevent abuse and increase government revenue...
- Cadsby 16y agoSuch a system would be simpler, but morally questionable.
- nickpp 16y agoReally? It seemed quite fair to me, everybody paying the exact same share of his pie to Uncle Sam. I find much more morally questionable that today some pay up to 50% while others under 10%...
- borism 16y agothe problem is that it's very hard to design a true flat tax system. corporations have to make deductions, but different industries need to deduct different levels of expenses. thus you still end up with (somewhat) progressive tax system: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_tax#Avoiding_deductions http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flat_tax#Avoiding_deductions another issue which I think previous poster raises, is that it might seem unfair that person below poverty line pays the same tax rate as billionaire. So here in Estonia we make basic income (something that will keep you just above poverty line) tax-free (also everyone pays the same VAT on purchased goods, but obviously poor pay proportionally more in VAT than rich). But that means that it's not a true flat tax system (even though politicians like to claim it is)! Then the question becomes why shouldn't we have progressive tax if we don't have true flat tax system in the first place?