Sunday, May 29, 2011

Taxation and Lower-income people

One of the more annoying things I hear some conservatives claim (especially talk radio hosts like Jason Lewis) is that lower income Americans don't pay taxes.  In my opinion, this is about as stupid as the liberal notions about how only the rich should be taxed.  Everyone pays payroll, gas taxes and other excise taxes, plus state and local taxes.   It would be nice if folks could at least agree that everyone pays taxes, and it would even be better if conservatives would acknowledge the tax burden on the poor is greater than they like to admit.  Via Clive Crook at the Atlantic, this report on who pays taxes in the US.

4 comments:

tyree said...

The phrase I hear is that the lower 48% don't pay Federal Income Tax. Which is accurate. As a conservative I will admit that the tax burden is to high on the poor, and everyone else. We need fewer government working running around telling us what to do and more freedom. Do you want more government workers on the payroll and less freedom?

Anonymous said...

ok they pay taxes.

but when they get unearned tax credits (free money from the feds they get it back plus some.

I think most conservatives are talking about the main tax in life, the federal income tax.

no other taxes really rival that

Anonymous said...

Certainly 'Everyone pays payroll' taxes, at least those fortunate enough to have a job, but at tax time the lower 50% income bracket gets just about ALL OF IT BACK.

Miller smith said...

yes, everyone pay some kind of tax. The bottom 40 percent does not pay federal income tax. That is the way it's always been presented to me. Well on top of all the other taxes the bottom 40% do pay, they need to start paying federal income tax.