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sundin13 on 07 August 2024
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Chrkeller said:
sundin13 said:

Consumption taxes are inherently regressive taxes. That means they fall more heavily on those who are poorer than those who are richer, because the poor spend a higher percentage of their income on goods than the rich. I support a more progressive tax system (aka one which falls more heavily on the rich) because it only makes sense to ask the ones who have a greater ability to provide assistance to provide that assistance. Your arguments surrounding simplifying the tax system aren't arguments against progressive taxes, they are arguments against bad tax code. 

I'm well aware.  In fact I've never once said a tiered system wasn't perfectly fine.  I've only said fix the broken tax code before increasing taxes.  Raising taxes in a broken system isn't going to help.  The uber rich will still avoid taxes and upper middle class carries the cross.

And I've said food is out of scope for federal sales tax...  it should be on luxury optional items.  

So yeah, feels like you missed my point(s) completely.

And I'll note I've asked multiple times what is considered rich?  Nobody seems to want to provide a numeric answer.  

But yes, a tier system is wholly supported by me.  I just don't want a tax increase before closing loopholes.  

My percent tax, which is already higher than Trump, shouldn't be increased until a person like him actually pays what he is supposed to.

Why not fix the broken tax code and increase taxes? These two things don't need to be mutually exclusive (and I disagree with your implication that increasing taxes on the wealthy doesn't help. It helps. It could help more, but it helps). Like I said, one isn't an argument against the other. As for the exclusion of food, that doesn't fix the problem. You'd have to carve out a lot more than food. If you actually want a tax only on luxury items, call it a luxury tax and then have no illusions that it isn't going to solve any budget crisis. 

As for what is considered rich, the reason no one has answered (imo) is because it is a silly question. It isn't a binary where if you make, say, $999,999 you aren't rich and then if you make, say, $1,000,000 you are rich. That is why progressive taxation exists in a scale. As individuals make more money, they pay more taxes.