Posted on 03/10/2011 10:42:44 AM PST by Scythian
I have been thinking about what is driving our country closer and closer to the brink of civil war. One that is surely coming and the left is violently ratcheting it up each day, but this has been coming for generations.
The left says big business is taking advantage of the workers; executives make gazillions while the worker (blue and white collar) is often left with very little. Also, businesses themselves are often exempt from paying any taxes. There is some truth in this.
The right says at least half of the people in the country don't even pay taxes and are bleeding the productive dry and that taxes are too high. There is also truth in this.
There is one thing that could entirely end this class warfare, envy, and hatred by each side for the other.
The solution is ... The Flat Tax (hear me out).
Here is how it would work:
1) No exemptions for anything what-so-ever, none. Not even for charity. If you want to give to charity it should be between you and your God or your conscious. No housing deduction, no marriage deduction, NO deductions at all. Not a single one can be allowed.
2) Every person pays the same amount, 10%, 15% I don't care, it's far cheaper than what we pay now and will bring in far more taxes.
3) Businesses pay the same flat tax as the individual, again with no deductions, none, period.
This could bring an end to the divide that is about to destroy our country. The flat tax is the solution to America's problem.
Ya, okay, it's not might idea, but it is the solution. Of course, ultimately God is the solution but in light of that, a Flat Tax will solve America's malignancy. After all, Christ Himself set tithing at a flat rate, so you know it's the right approach.
You may now commence to ripping me to shreds.
If “No exemptions for anything what-so-ever” were enforced, I’d be for it.
I’m not going to rip you to threads. I agree. A flat tax is a fair tax and the more you consume, the more you pay. You’re rich, you buy alot - you pay alot. You’re poor, you buy your kids clothes at garage sales - you pay almost nothing.
I’m sold.
Oh, and it will never happen - you do know that don’t you?
I agree with you 99.99999 percent. The only thing I don’t believe we will ever see is a Civil War. It would be too difficult. First the South would not want it as they were beaten badly the last time. The north would not want it as there is not an interest. If it was a Red vs. Blue state type, then some states that are purple would have to chose sides. It would be a big mess.
Ok, you asked for it.
(Actually I agree with everything you wrote, and have been advocating the exact same thing for literally decades -- 10% flat tax, no writeoffs.).
One suggestion - leave mention of businesses paying taxes out of your essay. They don't, this only plays into the marxist narrative.
Otherwise, I'm up for a flat tax that EVERY INDIVIDUAL above a certain level of poverty pays.
Commies think a flat tax is unfair.
How would we handle organizations that said, okay, we’ll pay you 100K, where we used to pay you 300K, but we’ll throw in a house and an annual new car.
IMHO, the Flat Tax proposals will be much easier to implement than the Fair Tax.
Why should some people be totally exempt from paying taxes? They use roads, they use libraries, they use public services such as police and firefighters.
No one should be exempt.
Why would you want to tax business?
That may sound counter intuitive but every single dollar you take from business is a dollar less that goes to investment or payroll. Business investment does more good than “government investment” and payroll gets taxed anyway.
Taxing business only increases cost and that passed on cost is actually an invisible income tax that every last one of us pays.
There are also issues with taking away current deductions. If you think the housing market is bad now, just start talking about doing away with the mortgage deduction.
The tax situation is screwed up, not because the rich aren’t paying enough or there aren’t enough revinues, it is because we have a spending problem. Even more we have a philosophy problem.
When I see "flat tax" I think of it as purchases. Whoever bought the house would have to pay 10% on it and everytime they purchase a new car they'd have to pay 10% on it.
OK, now I'm confused, that will work won't it?
On the other hand, I'd be willing to drop that provision.
Wealthy and established people already own most everything they want.
So for #3 your plan double taxes the small business. In order to protect themselves from lawsuits, small businesses often organize themselves as S corps or C corps.
If they company makes a profit, then pays taxes, then pays themelves a salary, then the person pays taxes on that salary, you have taxed the same income twice.
Some will then say - change the corp structure to sole proprietor but that then forces more risk onto the small business owner as their non-business assets such as their homes and cars become attackable via a lawsuit against the business.
Also, how would you address the business tax? Would you tax revenue or profit. If you tax profit, then you have to allow deductions for expenses to operate the business. If you tax revenue then you have created a national VAT that is inflationary as all the businesses will simply pass on the VAT to the price of their product.
I disagree, people would have far more spending money under a flat tax, we wouldn’t need tax deductions, as it stands now I’m paying like 50% of my income away. And business’s should be tax.
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