4 ms·

I could get behind a program like that. Especially, if coupled with a flat tax on all income after the BIG.

by ckluis 12y ago

lloyddobbler 12y ago
This is the key. As the author describes eliminating things like the mortgage deduction - but if you implement a BIG while still leaving legislators the ability to levy taxes against certain constituents over others, we remain at exactly the same place we are now. The Fairtax proposal at http://www.fairtax.org http://www.fairtax.org has long advocated a lesser sort of BIG (called the 'prebate,' which would give everyone a check for their standard deduction each month to avoid people paying taxes on essential goods). After that, all would pay a flat sales tax on goods. Prices of goods would only increase minimally, given the absence of tax compliance costs for businesses. One could conceivably expand this type of BIG and do away with the welfare programs altogether. But without doing away with the IRS, the system remains corrupt. Sadly, neither of these proposals will ever happen, because both would require the federal government give up its ability to pick and choose to which constituents and special interests they dole out favors.
mjevans 12y ago
Taxes (excluding incentives / disincentives to do things as the collective (government) feels benefits society) should take a single exponential curve, a few min gives me this as a starting point: Taxes = PreTaxIncome * (1-(Ratio^((PreTaxIncome - BasicIncome) / BasicIncome))) * subtract basic living income from total * an otherwise equally applied curve where you /always/ take home more for making more (irrespective of how you made it) BUT the more you make the higher the percentage becomes tax. You're taking home disproportionately more of a society therefore your obligations to the society that allows you to make that much are also larger. If you're waiting for some background task and want to experiment use a spreadsheet program and the following: B1 = Ratio A2 = MinimumIncome A3+ = HigherIncomes B2+ = =(1-POWER($B$1,(A2-$A$2)/$A$2))*A2 C2+ = =B2/A2 D2+ = =(A2-B2)/$A$2 I'm not super happy about this particular curve as it's been too long since taking math courses for me to remember how to build in controls that make it easier to shape based on more meaningful numbers.

I could get behind a program like that. Especially, if coupled with a flat tax on all income after the BIG.

by ckluis 12y ago

I could get behind a program like that. Especially, if coupled with a flat tax on all income after the BIG.

This is the key. As the author describes eliminating things like the mortgage deduction - but if you implement a BIG while still leaving legislators the ability to levy taxes against certain constituents over others, we remain at exactly the same place we are now. The Fairtax proposal at http://www.fairtax.org http://www.fairtax.org has long advocated a lesser sort of BIG (called the 'prebate,' which would give everyone a check for their standard deduction each month to avoid people paying taxes on essential goods). After that, all would pay a flat sales tax on goods. Prices of goods would only increase minimally, given the absence of tax compliance costs for businesses. One could conceivably expand this type of BIG and do away with the welfare programs altogether. But without doing away with the IRS, the system remains corrupt. Sadly, neither of these proposals will ever happen, because both would require the federal government give up its ability to pick and choose to which constituents and special interests they dole out favors.

mjevans 12y ago

Taxes (excluding incentives / disincentives to do things as the collective (government) feels benefits society) should take a single exponential curve, a few min gives me this as a starting point: Taxes = PreTaxIncome * (1-(Ratio^((PreTaxIncome - BasicIncome) / BasicIncome))) * subtract basic living income from total * an otherwise equally applied curve where you /always/ take home more for making more (irrespective of how you made it) BUT the more you make the higher the percentage becomes tax. You're taking home disproportionately more of a society therefore your obligations to the society that allows you to make that much are also larger. If you're waiting for some background task and want to experiment use a spreadsheet program and the following: B1 = Ratio A2 = MinimumIncome A3+ = HigherIncomes B2+ = =(1-POWER($B$1,(A2-$A$2)/$A$2))*A2 C2+ = =B2/A2 D2+ = =(A2-B2)/$A$2 I'm not super happy about this particular curve as it's been too long since taking math courses for me to remember how to build in controls that make it easier to shape based on more meaningful numbers.