Posted on 04/15/2006 6:34:36 AM PDT by satchmodog9
WASHINGTON - Almost as certain as death and taxes is the public's feeling that the U.S. income tax system is not fair. An Ipsos Poll released this week found almost six of 10 people, 58 percent, say the system is unjust, a number that is virtually unchanged from two decades ago.
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People think the middle class, the self-employed and small businesses pay too much in taxes, the poll found. And they think those with high incomes and big businesses don't pay enough. The survey was conducted in the days before the mid-April deadline for filing income tax returns.
Dissatisfaction with the tax system remains high after numerous changes in tax law since the late 1980s.
The Reagan administration led a tax overhaul two decades ago that significantly lowered tax rates and eliminated or reduced several deductions. The first President Bush abandoned his "read my lips, no new taxes pledge" in a 1990 budget deal that raised taxes.
The Clinton administration won passage in 1993 of a deficit-reduction measure that blended tax increases, budget cuts and rebates for the working poor.
And the second Bush administration pushed successfully for tax cuts that lowered the top income tax rate to 35 percent and slashed tax rates for individuals and manufacturers.
People were most likely to think the middle class is paying too much in taxes, according to the poll.
More than half, 58 percent, said middle-income families pay too much income tax and people were almost as likely, 54 percent, to say that about low-income families.
Six in 10 said high-income families were paying too little in taxes. But 20 years ago, almost eight in 10 said high income families were paying too little.
Tax cuts for the wealthy have been at the heart of a bitter partisan tax debate during much of this Bush administration.
The poll of 1,005 adults was conducted April 11-13 by Ipsos, an international polling firm, and has a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
Well they are right for the wrong reasons. The current tax system is unjust. It should tax consumption not income. Everyone consumes, not everyone generates income. Lots of your big name leftists are trust fund babies. They don't have much income so they are all for big Socialist style Govt. It is the working people that have to pay for it, not those who inherited their money.
Such idiotic opinions by the sheeple make me thank the fathers that we are a REPUBLIC, NOT A DEMOCRACY!
I wouldn't use the word "unjust." I'd say FUBAR is more like it. What's "unjust" is the magnitude of government involvement in the economy and every day life. A saner tax/collection system might work more smoothly, but wouldn't eliminate the gross appropriation and misuse of resources that characterize the modern state.
PING
Time for the Fairtax.
The AP tries to skew this poll to make it look like people agreed with Clinton for raising taxes and disagreed with Bush for cutting taxes. All this poll shows that most people (middle class) think they pay too much taxes, while these same people (middle class) think the rich pay too little.
I really don't give a damn what other people pay in taxes......the only thing I'm concerned about is how, each month, the harder I work and the more money I make, the more the government takes from me. I understand that we citizens have a responsiblity to pay taxes, but why punish me if I choose to work hard and try to make life better for my family?? Why take a chunk what I make? Why not do it thru sales taxes and so forth?
Not to mention Clinton added a provision with that law, that if you disagree with how the IRS interprets the tax law, your subject to a penalty. Now, if you disagree with the IRS about a regulation, you have to put it in writing and attach it to your return. Nobody does this to my knowledge. (That's like asking illegal immigrants to register with the Feds and pay a fine, I don't think they will).
The poor generally pay only sales and utility taxes taxes or indirectly through rent. To offset that, they receive huge subsidies from the public, including babysitting service from the public schools. The middle-class's problem is that so mcuh of their income is derived from salaries, which are hard to shelter from the tax man. No mentioned is the huge bill that goes to tax-preparers and accountants, which is paid mainly by the rich and companies. The small businessman is especially hard hit, because his finances are so complex and are hard to account. But even big firms suffer from poor managment, which means a lot of tight jaws when PRIVATE auditors come around.
You nailed it
That's why everyone should start a small cash business if they can.
Besides it wasn't Clinton who made the budget cut, but the GOP congress. Clinton shut the government down trying to stop the cuts.
Did you see in yesterday's WSJ that the elimination of Spanish American war era taxes on long distance phone bills is being won in the courts, after Clinton vetoed its repeal by Congress? Could produce $60b in refunds.
People were most likely to think the middle class is paying too much in taxes, according to the poll.
Time for another Boston "Tea Party"
throw every politician with a "T" in their name into Boston harbor.
then throw every politician without a "T" in their name into Boston harbor.
then throw in the rest.
I like that.
Wait until the amnesty takes effect. We'll have 20 million people added to the tax rolls, only they will hover just above the poverty level because they are mostly unskilled, illiterate and don't speak the language. They will then qualify for all the freebies. Whose gonna pay for it all? You and me, but we'll have nice lawns and cheap veggies. Fair trade? NOT!
I totally agree with you.
LOL!
Idiots. Low income people pay no income taxes at all for the most part.
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