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Do the Rich Pay Their Fair Share of Taxes in the United States?

Do the Rich Pay Their Fair Share?

  • Yes

    Votes: 58 48.3%
  • No

    Votes: 62 51.7%

  • Total voters
    120

You're right about that, the Romney-Bot probably did pay more in taxes than I made in my best year with lots of OT, for walking iron, pulling welding leads. & all he's doing is running for president.
They say that Investing is risky & you don't always win, But there are deductions for losses, yet the rate is held low at 15%. If 15% is more than the average wage earner makes per year Gross, then effen right it's to low. :doh :peace

Over and over and over again, this point has been upheld. He did pay more FIT than 97% of Americans. Unless you are in the top 2.5-2.8% of income earners, you pay less FIT with only standard deductions (you know, the ones everyone gets). The talking point about his income is debunked. And that is including his capital gains rate which is supposed to be so incredibly low.
 
So, you are saying that not only is he so productive that he is a greater benefit to society, but he can be a greater benefit to society with a lower percentage? :) that's awesome.

nope - never said that.

I do think there are things he could do in the way of being a greater benefit to society.
 
You want me to reveal my private tax data to you? I don't think so.

You're the ones making relatively unlikely claims in here about your tax data. Put up or shut up. :shrug: besides, it's not as if the base numbers are all that revealing - like someone is going to find out who you are in RL by your salary?

Here, I'll post you mine from 2011:

Wages Tips and Other Compensation: $28,228.62
Federal Tax Withheld: $922.85
Social Security Tax Withheld: $1,248.38
Medicare Tax Withheld: $430.99

:) See now? That wasn't so hard at all.
 
You want me to reveal my private tax data to you? I don't think so.

Then DO NOT use yourself as a "source". Posting nonsense and then asserting that it applies to YOU was your choice. You must make over $250K to even have a chance of paying more FIT than 15% of gross.
 
You must make over $250K to even have a chance of paying more FIT than 15% of gross.

but that can't be! he's just a lowly-paid but loyal public servant, humbly seeking to work for his community.


really truly, I'm betting that he has justified using his nominal marginal rate as a stand-in for his effective rate for the purposes of this discussion.
 
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but that can't be! he's just a lowly-paid but loyal public servant, humbly seeking to work for his community.


really truly, I'm betting that he has justified using his nominal marginal rate as a stand-in for his effective rate for the purposes of this discussion.

But apples to moonrocks comparisons are completely acceptable if they "prove" your point. ;-)
 
But apples to moonrocks comparisons are completely acceptable if they "prove" your point. ;-)

Green little circle means he's still online.... yet no answer.


You think he's desperately running through some tax calculator trying to find that random magic income number and family status that allows him to have a 14.1% tax rate?
 
Green little circle means he's still online.... yet no answer.


You think he's desperately running through some tax calculator trying to find that random magic income number and family status that allows him to have a 14.1% tax rate?

Definitely agree with the "desperately running" part, not at all sure about the calculator though. ;-)

I keep asking for a definition of a "fair" simple income tax system, yet NEVER get detailed responses. All are SURE they will know it when they see it, yet somehow can not quite describe it. We surely do not need 80K+ pages of FIT law, yet when asked what IS fair, it seems to ALWAYS be some minor "tweek" to the current code, shifting even more of the tax burden from the bottom to the top. Hmm...
 
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Thanks I didn't know that, but does it mean he (whoever) is on your thread, which is at the bottom of page. :mrgreen: :peace

Green little circle means he's still online.... yet no answer.


QUOTE]
 
Definitely agree with the "desperately running" part, not at all sure about the calculator though. ;-)

I keep asking for a definition of a "fair" simple income tax system, yet NEVER get detailed responses. All are SURE they will know it when they see it, yet somehow can not quite describe it. We surely do not need 80K+ pages of FIT law, yet when asked what IS fair, it seems to ALWAYS be some minor "tweek" to the current code, shifting even more of the tax burden from the bottom to the top. Hmm...

No kidding. We should toss that whole damn thing and just start over.
 

You're right about that, the Romney-Bot probably did pay more in taxes than I made in my best year with lots of OT, for walking iron, pulling welding leads. & all he's doing is running for president.
They say that Investing is risky & you don't always win, But there are deductions for losses, yet the rate is held low at 15%. If 15% is more than the average wage earner makes per year Gross, then effen right it's to low. :doh :peace

I'm going to assume that you intentionally changed the FIT rate for yearly income to make your point.

I have no problem with him having lots and lots of money. I have a slight problem with him paying a higher percentage because he or his family earned that money, but it's minor since progressive rates are what they are. However, saying he doesn't pay enough when he pays a higher rate than 97% and pays more money than over 99% of the population doesn't sit well with me.

I just don't think accumulating wealth is just cause to have your earnings further confiscated.
 
You're the ones making relatively unlikely claims in here about your tax data. Put up or shut up. :shrug: besides, it's not as if the base numbers are all that revealing - like someone is going to find out who you are in RL by your salary?

Here, I'll post you mine from 2011:

Wages Tips and Other Compensation: $28,228.62
Federal Tax Withheld: $922.85
Social Security Tax Withheld: $1,248.38
Medicare Tax Withheld: $430.99

:) See now? That wasn't so hard at all.
Here is a news bulletin for you: I could not care less if you believe me or not. You see, your opinion cannot possible change the fact of my tax payments.

The simple fact is that I paid a higher percentage of my income in federal taxes that Mittens did.
 
Here is a news bulletin for you: I could not care less if you believe me or not. You see, your opinion cannot possible change the fact of my tax payments.

The simple fact is that I paid a higher percentage of my income in federal taxes that Mittens did.

I don't believe you make over 200K a year which is what it takes to have an effective tax rate that high. I believe you are counting FICA and perhaps state taxes to get that figure
 
I don't believe you make over 200K a year which is what it takes to have an effective tax rate that high. I believe you are counting FICA and perhaps state taxes to get that figure

What you believe or do not believe is a decision of your own choosing.

I know the difference between federal and state taxes.
 
What you believe or do not believe is a decision of your own choosing.

I know the difference between federal and state taxes.

I note you do not deny counting FICA in your tax bill. however counting only pure income tax rates I doubt your claims
 
Right. This is the same argument everyone that cries "increase taxes" uses.

Yeah, the truth!

I'll tell you what, I'll take the deal of paying all the other misc. taxes, if I don't have to pay federal and state taxes, can I get that deal?

In Somalia you can!
 
If we cut off all the food stamps, welfare, and housing assistance, you would see just how "industrious" Americans would get. People all over this country are just wallowing in the "safety net." If it were removed, people would begin to see how life really is... that you better learn to be "industrious," because if you don't, you will starve to death. :lol::lol::lol:
For most of the history of this county there were no food stamps, welfare, or housing assistance.


NEWS FLASH - PEOPLE DID STARVE TO DEATH


NEWS FLASH - PEOPLE STARVE TO DEATH NOW
We've reduced it, we haven't stopped it.


NEWS FLASH - There's nothing funny about Americans starving to death.
 
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There you have it folks. Mo Believes the answer to helping those without opportunity is to educate them less.

God damn, just when I thought it couldn't get any crazier. You have certainly kept it interesting Mo.

Should you just really go nuts with it Mo? Maybe an anti-education campaign? You could find the most unfortunate and easily swayed, and tell them to "drop the **** out of school you idiot, it's not helping, you could be working unskilled labor! You'd unclog those unemployment lines, you'd be national hero. You are a real visionary.
Irrelevant and ranting at that. It's a good show but, like those old strip shows that use a 50-year-old hooker for the finale - there's not a lot of real content to be seen. Good job at distraction, though. Have you thought of hawking at a menagerie?


The same number of people will still be out of work regardless of how much you want to paint it differently.


But you keep telling yourself that anyone can create jobs from nowhere. The Republicans have been chanting for decades that only the rich can do that.
 
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Here is a news bulletin for you: I could not care less if you believe me or not. You see, your opinion cannot possible change the fact of my tax payments.

The simple fact is that I paid a higher percentage of my income in federal taxes that Mittens did.

Right. So you couldn't come up with a number that allowed you to pay a higher tax rate than Mitt Romney without making boodles of cash.

TurtleDude said:
I don't believe you make over 200K a year which is what it takes to have an effective tax rate that high. I believe you are counting FICA and perhaps state taxes to get that figure

At best that is what he is doing. I find it just as likely that he is claiming his nominal rate as "what he paid" here on the board.



Either way, he refuses to demonstrate his math, indicating that he knows he is either A) twisting the numbers or B) simply making crap up.
 
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For most of the history of this county there were no food stamps, welfare, or housing assistance.


NEWS FLASH - PEOPLE DID STARVE TO DEATH


NEWS FLASH - PEOPLE STARVE TO DEATH NOW
We've reduced it, we haven't stopped it.


NEWS FLASH - There's nothing funny about Americans starving to death.

I would like to see your evidence of this?
 
WHO | Global Health Observatory Data Repository


Mostly in the US it's what I said earlier - malnutrition leading to illness then death - but since that was such a mouthful I did not keep repeating it for 10 pages.

The portions under "Population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption" are blank. Can you cite the relevant statistic? How many Americans starve to death annually?
 
real question is why do idiots making $80k support people making $300 million year?
And the $80k guy is paying 2x the taxes? LOL
 
I note you do not deny counting FICA in your tax bill. however counting only pure income tax rates I doubt your claims

I have had years where I pay a larger percentage in my income in federal income tax alone that Mittens did in federal income tax alone. I have explained before that I have a wide and varied stream of income. Yes, I work for a member of the legislature. But I do that mostly as a hobby. I could quit today, get Social Security and expand my consulting and make up the same revenues if I wanted to do so. I stay on as a favor to a former student. I have a pension from 33 years as an educator. I do political consulting work on the side. I have royalty revenue from books. I have shared in film rights sales. I have income from sales of collectibles and art.

In other years, where Mittens paid a higher income tax percentage than I did, I paid a total tax bill of a higher percentage when you add in other federal taxes such as FICA. In those years my income came mostly from teaching or legislative employment and the royalties may have been down. In years where I do count FICA, in fairness, I would also count the FICA from Mittens as well, It would not be fair to do otherwise.

But no matter how you want to calculate it, I have years where I pay a larger percentage that Mittens in federal taxes.

Your doubts are your own right. Enjoy them.
 
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