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I'm more and more convinced that people who don't have kids should have double the tax burden compared to parents, at least for the first 5-10 years. The stres

I'm more and more convinced that people who don't have kids should have double the tax burden compared to parents, at least for the first 5-10 years. The stress is unimaginable, and then some people have the gall to complain when parents try to do it well. Appalling behaviour. I would not tolerate such complaints as a manager, but thankfully I have never met such attitude in my life.

teknopaul 5y ago
Kidless workers do have some more tax burden. If you presume that taxes are wisely spent, and some of it on education, equal tax payments result in unequal benefit. Not complaining, Just explaining. I live in a country that has decent, tax funded, public education; I understand you may not. But as a kidless tax payer, I fully support decent public education paid for with my tax contributions. I don't think tax should be used as a punishment, especially not since some people can't have kids, it's not their fault.
- teknopaul 5y ago
  Arguably, if you consider things like military spend to be a benefit equally shared by those living in the country being secured: a couple paying taxes with no kids compared to a couple with two kids, are paying double the tax burden already. Anything spent on education, is (arguably) above that. Careful what you wish for! ;)
- drnonsense42 5y ago
  That’s only one limited side of it. The very limited tax contribution you’re making towards their education pays off in spades for you. When you’re old, they’re fully funding your social security, providing you with healthcare, keeping you alive militarily for a long time after you have any practical value to society (well, it’s true). If they were not, and only people with children only could take advantage of the resources of the young and healthy, you wouldn’t make it to old age. Parents end up putting up the bulk of the capital to produce these highly profitable resources, and let’s face it, you’re reaping the disproportionate benefits, especially as you get older. Also, I don’t have any data, but I would wager the safe majority of childless adults are not due to infertility. I’m not saying people should be forced to have children or anything- but it’s hard to take seriously the argument that childless people are victimized by slightly excess taxes.
  - gman83 5y ago
    Not only that, imagine living in a country with terrible public education. I'm sure crime rates and other similar indicators would be way up. Not exactly a fantastic place to live.
    - netsharc 5y ago
      Hear hear! I remember reading an op-ed a decade or so ago, where the author said she didn't mind her taxes going to public education, because she didn't want to die in case someone makes a fatal mistake due to their lack of education...
rajamaka 5y ago
- throwaway0x7E6 5y ago
  sure, but then we will also halt mass immigration that's being allowed for the sake of making up for our already very negative population growth, right?
- lkxijlewlf 5y ago
  Make sure you have a firm grip on that ladder as you pull it up. Don't want splinters.
darrenf 5y ago
The first 5-10 years of ... what?
ejolto 5y ago
Would you then get those 5-10 years of extra tax refunded if you have kids at a later point? Or are you only going to endorse extra tax on sterile people?
- darthrupert 5y ago
  Technically, parents would have 1/2 the income tax, so nothing needs to be refunded.
lr4444lr 5y ago
There is already the EITC, and you get deductions for them as dependents. As a parent, I don't feel a need to punish the childless. Money != time or stress.
dang 5y ago
We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30787874 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30787874.
clsec 5y ago
Why should my decision to never have children be taxed at all? My carbon footprint is a hell of a lot smaller than most.

teknopaul 5y ago

Kidless workers do have some more tax burden. If you presume that taxes are wisely spent, and some of it on education, equal tax payments result in unequal benefit. Not complaining, Just explaining. I live in a country that has decent, tax funded, public education; I understand you may not. But as a kidless tax payer, I fully support decent public education paid for with my tax contributions. I don't think tax should be used as a punishment, especially not since some people can't have kids, it's not their fault.

teknopaul 5y ago
Arguably, if you consider things like military spend to be a benefit equally shared by those living in the country being secured: a couple paying taxes with no kids compared to a couple with two kids, are paying double the tax burden already. Anything spent on education, is (arguably) above that. Careful what you wish for! ;)
drnonsense42 5y ago
That’s only one limited side of it. The very limited tax contribution you’re making towards their education pays off in spades for you. When you’re old, they’re fully funding your social security, providing you with healthcare, keeping you alive militarily for a long time after you have any practical value to society (well, it’s true). If they were not, and only people with children only could take advantage of the resources of the young and healthy, you wouldn’t make it to old age. Parents end up putting up the bulk of the capital to produce these highly profitable resources, and let’s face it, you’re reaping the disproportionate benefits, especially as you get older. Also, I don’t have any data, but I would wager the safe majority of childless adults are not due to infertility. I’m not saying people should be forced to have children or anything- but it’s hard to take seriously the argument that childless people are victimized by slightly excess taxes.
- gman83 5y ago
  Not only that, imagine living in a country with terrible public education. I'm sure crime rates and other similar indicators would be way up. Not exactly a fantastic place to live.
  - netsharc 5y ago
    Hear hear! I remember reading an op-ed a decade or so ago, where the author said she didn't mind her taxes going to public education, because she didn't want to die in case someone makes a fatal mistake due to their lack of education...

rajamaka 5y ago

throwaway0x7E6 5y ago
sure, but then we will also halt mass immigration that's being allowed for the sake of making up for our already very negative population growth, right?
lkxijlewlf 5y ago
Make sure you have a firm grip on that ladder as you pull it up. Don't want splinters.

darrenf 5y ago

The first 5-10 years of ... what?

ejolto 5y ago

Would you then get those 5-10 years of extra tax refunded if you have kids at a later point? Or are you only going to endorse extra tax on sterile people?

darthrupert 5y ago
Technically, parents would have 1/2 the income tax, so nothing needs to be refunded.

lr4444lr 5y ago

There is already the EITC, and you get deductions for them as dependents. As a parent, I don't feel a need to punish the childless. Money != time or stress.

dang 5y ago

We detached this subthread from https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30787874 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=30787874.

clsec 5y ago

Why should my decision to never have children be taxed at all? My carbon footprint is a hell of a lot smaller than most.