Who Pays Taxes in America? America’s tax system as a whole is just barely progressive.

[MyLittlePony 340]

Rich people should foot most of the tax and give the middle to low income a huge break.

[Neonred 3,647]

Rich people should foot most of the tax and give the middle to low income a huge break.

So you want the "rich" to pay more tax. What is the income level where people need to start paying more? In other words what is the least amount of income to be considered "rich"?

And why can't the government spend less? I feel like our government is getting so much money now they have zero incentive to be careful how they spend it. Trips for GSA to Vegas, videos, etc.

Edited April 10, 2012 by Neonred

[MyLittlePony 340]

Rich income pay very little taxes.

[웃 910]

I am just curious. The rich pay most of the taxes now. What higher percentage of the taxes doe's everyone want the rich to pay? Now remember almost half of the taxpayers pays no taxes at all.

Ever heard of sales, excise, SS tax, Medicare tax, state income tax, property tax, etc.?

Yup, these come out of every single day-to-day purchase or out of each paycheck.

You are repeating a Fox News myth that has been proven false.

When someone earning $16,000 a year puts $8 on tank number 12 after shuffling through the lint in their pocket they are hurting a lot more on those excise taxes than the person that can afford to fill up their tank in one swipe. Matter of fact they just spent close to 100% of their life savings on gas and excise taxes...

[luckytxn 2,265]

Ever heard of sales, excise, SS tax, Medicare tax, state income tax, property tax, etc.?

Yup, these come out of every single day-to-day purchase or out of each paycheck.

You are repeating a Fox News myth that has been proven false.

When someone earning $16,000 a year puts $8 on tank number 12 after shuffling through the lint in their pocket they are hurting a lot more on those excise taxes than the person that can afford to fill up their tank in one swipe. Matter of fact they just spent close to 100% of their life savings on gas and excise taxes...

Then stop spending so much money. Is that a fable too?

Now answer my question. How much taxes should the rich pay? They pay most of the taxes now. No sleight of hand needed to understand this. Now how much should we expect the rich to pay? Never get an answer on this.

Edited April 10, 2012 by luckytxn

[slim 1,531]

Why don't we just cut out the middle man and have the rich PAY the poor directly?

"I don't think I need $250,000/year. Why don't I give 12 of you an extra $15,000. That way it's "more fair" than the system we have now."

[웃 910]

Then stop spending so much money. Is that a fable too?

Now answer my question. How much taxes should the rich pay? They pay most of the taxes now. No sleight of hand needed to understand this. Now how much should we expect the rich to pay? Never get an answer on this.

We didn't have much of a debt problem when top tax rates were 90% to 70%

Looks like we really got ourselves into debt once rates fell below 50%!

[luckytxn 2,265]

We didn't have much of a debt problem when top tax rates were 90% to 70%

Looks like we really got ourselves into debt once rates fell below 50%!

Still not answering my question. Also back in those days the Feds were not expected to be a nanny state. All people paid taxes unlike now.

I will repeat again. The rich pay most of the taxes now. How much more should they be forced to pay? Give me a magic number.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Why in the hell is LI still arguing that taxes have anything to do with debt?

It's like the common sense part is completely turned off and him along with other with DLS (Deranged Liberal Syndrome) posters seem to have this faux belief that if we raise taxes that debt magically goes away and spending is a non-factor.

You cannot have debt unless you SPEND more than you're taking in.

If you don't have a credit card, you cannot have DEBT. The problem with the American Government is that they have a bottomless credit card in the Federal Reserve and it's damn time that credit is turned off and they are told NO to more spending.

You can raise and lower taxes all day long. It's all meaningless unless you STOP SPENDING.

[luckytxn 2,265]

Why in the hell is LI still arguing that taxes have anything to do with debt?

It's like the common sense part is completely turned off and him along with other with DLS (Deranged Liberal Syndrome) posters seem to have this faux belief that if we raise taxes that debt magically goes away and spending is a non-factor.

You cannot have debt unless you SPEND more than you're taking in.

If you don't have a credit card, you cannot have DEBT. The problem with the American Government is that they have a bottomless credit card in the Federal Reserve and it's damn time that credit is turned off and they are told NO to more spending.

You can raise and lower taxes all day long. It's all meaningless unless you STOP SPENDING.

They want a Federal nanny state but others to pay for it.

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

I've always found it funny that people want a progressive system of taxes.

It's what Jesus would do.

“unto whomsoever much is given, of him shall be much required, and to whom men have committed much, of him they will ask the more.”

[Mr. Big Dog 10,747]

They do? How so? They don't need welfare or handouts, don't use public transport and don't send their kids to public schools.

If anything, they benefit less from government spending, while paying for most of it.

They did not get rich in a vacuum either. They get a bigger return out of the nation's infrastructure. They may not send their kids to public schools but their workforce without which they can't make their fortunes comes out of them. Really, to sit there and pretend that these people would have made that same fortune in a country without an infrastructure and without good public education systems is quite dishonest. Or are you suggesting that any one of those more fortunate would have been as fortunate if you would have dropped them off in the middle of nowhere?

[dalegg 143]

Why in the hell is LI still arguing that taxes have anything to do with debt?

It's like the common sense part is completely turned off and him along with other with DLS (Deranged Liberal Syndrome) posters seem to have this faux belief that if we raise taxes that debt magically goes away and spending is a non-factor.

You cannot have debt unless you SPEND more than you're taking in.

If you don't have a credit card, you cannot have DEBT. The problem with the American Government is that they have a bottomless credit card in the Federal Reserve and it's damn time that credit is turned off and they are told NO to more spending.

You can raise and lower taxes all day long. It's all meaningless unless you STOP SPENDING.

Besides, President Obama has already admitted that if he raises taxes on the wealthy he already has plans for that money, and those plans don't include helping to pay off the deficit. First it was paying for a jobs bill, second it was paying for the extension of the payroll tax (which we did despite raising revenue [awesome] )

[mawilson 2,133]

Okay, which "entitlement"(I really do love rightwing terminology) programs do you have in mind?

Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid - which account for about $2 trillion out of the $3.7 trillion budget (2012).

Well if you own a business that say supplies the Army with certain services, it only stands to reason that you will benefit more than private citizens who don't own or are part of your business.

I don't.

[mawilson 2,133]

They did not get rich in a vacuum either. They get a bigger return out of the nation's infrastructure. They may not send their kids to public schools but their workforce without which they can't make their fortunes comes out of them. Really, to sit there and pretend that these people would have made that same fortune in a country without an infrastructure and without good public education systems is quite dishonest. Or are you suggesting that any one of those more fortunate would have been as fortunate if you would have dropped them off in the middle of nowhere?

It's a global world - their workforce can be in China, Russia, or wherever you can find skilled workers for your business.

An American company can make a fortune without hiring any American workers, or even doing any business in the US. So can a German company, or an offshore corporation based in the Caymans.