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Among Developed Nations American Tax Bills are Below Average

blackjack50

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With the April 18 tax-filing deadline rapidly approaching, some U.S. taxpayers may be thinking a lot about just how much they are forking over to (or getting from) Uncle Sam. A Pew Research Center report last year found that the public sees the nation’s tax system as deeply flawed: 59% of people surveyed agreed that “there is so much wrong with the federal tax system that Congress should completely change it,” while just 38% said the system “works pretty well” and requires “only minor changes.”

We wondered how Americans’ tax bills compare with those of people in other countries. While cross-national comparisons of tax burdens are complicated and tricky, most research has concluded that, at least among developed nations, the U.S. is on the low end of the range.

Among developed nations, Americans? tax bills are below average | Pew Research Center


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How does this make you feel? People demand more programs, but are we willing to pay more for them?


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comparing tax rates but ignoring currency manipulation is laughable.

we could end taxes completely, and simply use the power of fiat to pay for programs.

to claim you aren't being taxed under such a scenario is absurd.
 
How does this make you feel? People demand more programs, but are we willing to pay more for them?


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We need to raise taxes (especially for those in upper income brackets) and use the money to pay off the national debt.
 
comparing tax rates but ignoring currency manipulation is laughable.

we could end taxes completely, and simply use the power of fiat to pay for programs.

to claim you aren't being taxed under such a scenario is absurd.

Please explain.


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We need to raise taxes (especially for those in upper income brackets) and use the money to pay off the national debt.

false.

we need to start respecting property for everyone regardless of economic standing. Time for the free loaders to contribute
 
We need to raise taxes (especially for those in upper income brackets) and use the money to pay off the national debt.

But you don't want your taxes raised right?


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Please explain.


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currency debasement is a form of taxation.

much of our spending is accomplished by increasing the money supply, which diminishes the buying power of money previously in circulation. this is a hidden form of taxation, and especially harmful to people on fixed incomes.
 
currency debasement is a form of taxation.

much of our spending is accomplished by increasing the money supply, which diminishes the buying power of money previously in circulation. this is a hidden form of taxation, and especially harmful to people on fixed incomes.

True. But how does it benefit government long term?


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True. But how does it benefit government long term?


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we clearly have different views of the role of government.

I see its functions as to benefit the individual, so I don't have any desire to find an answer to your question.
 
false.

we need to start respecting property for everyone regardless of economic standing. Time for the free loaders to contribute
Yes! Tell GE, Boeing, Apple, Pfizer, and the rest of the free loaders that the party is over!
 
Yes! Tell GE, Boeing, Apple, Pfizer, and the rest of the free loaders that the party is over!

this thread is about individuals paying taxes. try to keep up.
 
this thread is about individuals paying taxes. try to keep up.
My mistake. With GE paying an effective negative tax rate, and a large percentage of the S&P 500 paying effectively no taxes; when I saw "free loaders"
I assumed that corporations, and not just individuals, where one part of the problem.
 
My mistake. With GE paying an effective negative tax rate, and a large percentage of the S&P 500 paying effectively no taxes; when I saw "free loaders"
I assumed that corporations, and not just individuals, where one part of the problem.

corporations don't vote.

how do we cut spending when so many people don't suffer the consequences of the spending? what incentive do they have to slow the growth of spending?
 
currency debasement is a form of taxation.
Uh.... No. It isn't.

If I'm a typical American, and my federal tax rate is 22%, it doesn't matter if the value of the yuan is falling. That doesn't alter my tax bill.

Or: Let's say inflation is high, perhaps 10%, and I wind up owing Uncle Sam an additional $10,000 for tax year 2016. The federal government is (generally speaking) equally affected by the deterioration of purchasing power. In fact, the government gets hit by this, because if my taxes are based on income earned in a calendar year, and I have to pay them in April 15th and can even legally defer payment? Every day that I delay payment, the less the purchasing power of the $10,000 I owe.


much of our spending is accomplished by increasing the money supply
Wrong


which diminishes the buying power of money previously in circulation.
Also not happening, inflation has been very low for years now


this is a hidden form of taxation, and especially harmful to people on fixed incomes.
Mostly wrong

1) It's only "taxation" if a government entity collects the funds (which, in your scenario, they don't)

2) Many Americans who are on "fixed incomes" are, in fact, on incomes indexed to inflation. E.g. Social Security and other benefits receive annual inflation adjustments. Investments tend to go up in nominal value when there's an inflation.

Now, it is true that people with savings accounts are getting railed when interest rates are low. But if that interest rate goes up, so does the cost of credit. Car loans, credit cards, mortgages (particularly anything adjustable), business loans all cost more. Economic activity will slow down as a result.
 
corporations don't vote.

how do we cut spending when so many people don't suffer the consequences of the spending? what incentive do they have to slow the growth of spending?
Corporations don't need to vote. With dark money, politicians can be bought any nobody knows who picked up the check.
 
we clearly have different views of the role of government.

I see its functions as to benefit the individual, so I don't have any desire to find an answer to your question.

What? Was that not a fair question? You were stating that it is a form of tax. And I'm asking why that benefits the government? You can "see" it as supposed to be serving of the people, but it is not. Government is self serving.


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Uh.... No. It isn't.

If I'm a typical American, and my federal tax rate is 22%, it doesn't matter if the value of the yuan is falling. That doesn't alter my tax bill.

does increasing your tax rate to 25% effect your purchasing power?

does the dollar floating against another currency have the chance to effect your purchasing power?

hint - the answer to both is yes.


if you use the latter as a form of debasement of debt, it is most definitely acting in a similar capacity to a tax policy.
 
corporations don't vote.

how do we cut spending when so many people don't suffer the consequences of the spending? what incentive do they have to slow the growth of spending?
Individuals pay 80% of Fed revenue . If corporations paid what they used to pay, 50%, instead of their current 9% of Fed revenue, there would not be a "spending problem"
 
Individuals pay 80% of Fed revenue . If corporations paid what they used to pay, 50%, instead of their current 9% of Fed revenue, there would not be a "spending problem"

yes, individuals do, but technically, they pay 100%, not 80%

Everything the government takes, ultimately is taken from individuals. corporate taxes are baked into prices that individuals pay.

but most money is coming from a percentage of the individuals. many individuals suffer no consequences for voting for increases spending.
 
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false.

we need to start respecting property for everyone regardless of economic standing. Time for the free loaders to contribute

That's absolutely right. Make the president-elect and the cabinet pay their fair share. The rich have had a free ride for long enough.
 
What? Was that not a fair question? You were stating that it is a form of tax. And I'm asking why that benefits the government? You can "see" it as supposed to be serving of the people, but it is not. Government is self serving.


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It makes sense that a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people" would be self-serving. Who else would it serve?
 
currency debasement is a form of taxation.

much of our spending is accomplished by increasing the money supply, which diminishes the buying power of money previously in circulation. this is a hidden form of taxation, and especially harmful to people on fixed incomes.

Inflation is at all time lows and has not increased because of our debt increasing. Inflation is caused by too much money chasing too few goods. Something we don't have to worry about since demand is suppressed by low wages. Deflation has been the worry for the last 8 years. That is far worse than inflation for the economy.
 
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