all that is covered under "collect necessary revenue"
all that is covered under "collect necessary revenue"
You did not offer that option. The only correct option is "collect revenue for government operation and programs", which you did not include.
You missed another option - Collect necessary revenue needed without concentrating so much wealth at the top that it adversely affects the ability of middle class consumers to be consumers which is necessary for a prosperous economy.
that is assumed. however, many different tax schemes can do that - you pick which scheme based on what guides your taxation philosophy.
claiming that taxes are for collecting revenue for government is a tautology. What should guide HOW we go about doing so?
that sounds like either the "wealth distribution" or "wage disparity" options.
I think most people are interpreting the question wrong... from at least the way I understand it.None of the above.
The first and foremost purpose of taxation is to pay for the services, functions, and operations that the society have deemed important.
Except that is neither wealth redistribution or wage disparity. It is progressive taxation.
The only purpose and effect of “progressive taxation” is to take more from those at higher income levels, in order to give more to those at lower levels. How is this not “wealth redistribution”?
So you are not asking the question that you asked? Because the only purpose of taxation is to raise revenue for the government and it's programs. None of the rest is a purpose of taxation.
You're half right, the purpose of progressive taxation is to take more from those who earn more. How that tax is spent is completely irrelevant to how it is collected.
The only purpose and effect of “progressive taxation” is to take more from those at higher income levels, in order to give more to those at lower levels. How is this not “wealth redistribution”?
It seems to me that you are playing here a dishonest semantic game, denying that a thing is one thing, by calling it by a different name which means exactly the same as the name that you deny.
interesting. so you do not care if we have a national sales tax v a progressive income tax?
and that is precisely why catawba is incorrect - and reducing wealth disparity is not equivalent to a progressive income tax code.
Because the government is not taking money from the rich and giving it to those at lower levels. The government is taxing the rich more to fund the government because they derive the most benefit from the services provided by the government.
Catawba said:Collect necessary revenue needed without concentrating so much wealth at the top that it adversely affects the ability of middle class consumers to be consumers which is necessary for a prosperous economy.
That is not what I said. They do however both serve the same purpose, raising revenue for the government and it's programs. So if your question is what it is stated, what the tax is or how it is administered is irrelevant for the question.
Because the government is not taking money from the rich and giving it to those at lower levels. The government is taxing the rich more to fund the government because they derive the most benefit from the services provided by the government.