Almost half the population of the United States pays no income tax - whether or not they are middle class depends on where the line is drawn. Everyone should pay something above and beyond the purchase of lottery tickets.
Agreed.
My view is that there ought to be a two-tiered flat tax rate, with no exemptions for anything (marriage, home, car, etc.).
One rate would be for those above the poverty line... and the other for below the poverty line. That’s it.
And considering that the average tax ‘take’ the government gets, regardless of tax rates, is 18-20%... then that ought to be the flat tax rate. Nothing else, no Social Security tax, no FICA, no capital gains tax, etc.
The same would apply to businesses. 20% flat rate, no exemptions.
Overall, the tax revenue the Fed gets would not change, but they would now be able to seriously reduce the amount of bureaucrats at the IRS.
Plus, businesses would flock to America to take advantage of the low business tax rate. That would result in *JOBS*. And people with jobs pay taxes.