1999 INCOME TAX DATA:

[b][u]The Definitions[/u]:[/b]
[IncomeRange] = percentile category based on Adjusted Gross Income.
[Inc.Bracket] = Adjusted Gross Income cutoffs for each income range.
[Avg.Adj.Grs.Inc.] = average AGI of all filers in each group.
[#ofFilers] = in thousands, number of returns filed by each group.
[%Nat'lInc] = percentage of the nation's income earned by each group.
[AvgTax$$/Filer] = average amount of income tax payed by each filer in that group.
[%TotTaxPaid] = percentage of total federal income tax collections paid by each group.
[AvgTaxRate] = percentage of each group's adjust gross income paid in federal income tax (avg. "effective tax rate").


[b][u]The Brief Data[/u]:[/b]
[b][IncomeRange][/b]..[Inc.Bracket]..[AvgTax$$/Filer]..[b][%TotTaxesPaid][/b]..[AvgTaxRate]
* [b]Top1%[/b].....above$293,415........$251,920..........[b]36.2%[/b]............27.5%
* [b]Top5%[/b].....above$120,846.........$77,216..........[b]55.5%[/b]............24.2%
* [b]Top10%[/b]....above.$87,682.........$46,266..........[b]66.5%[/b]............22.0%
* [b]Top25%[/b]....above.$52,965.........$23,264..........[b]83.5%[/b]............18.7%
* [b]Top50%[/b]....above.$26,415.........$13,367..........[b]96.0%[/b]............16.4%
* [b]Bottom50%[/b].under.$26,415............$557...........[b]4.0%[/b].............4.5%
  * About one-half of the bottom 50% filers pay NO income tax.


[b][u]The "Middle-Class" Taxpayer[/u][/b]:
The Average Adjusted Gross Income of ALL filers is $46,896
The Average Income Tax Paid by ALL filers is $6,962 (14.8% effective tax rate)


[b][u]The Full Data[/u]:[/b]
[IncomeRange]..[Inc.Bracket]..[Avg.Adj.Grs.Inc]..[#ofFilers]..[%Nat'lInc]..[AvgTax$$/Filer]..[%TotTaxesPaid]..[AvgTaxRate]
* Top1%.....above$293,415.......$914,936.........1,260K.........19.5%.........$251,920..........36.2%..........27.5%
* Bottom99%.under$293,415........$38,128.......124,749K.........80.5%...........$4,487..........63.8%..........11.8%

* Top2-5%...$121K-to-293K.......$207,000.........5,041K.........14.5%..........$33,588..........19.3%..........16.2%
* Top5%.....above$120,846.......$319,327.........6,301K.........34.0%..........$77,216..........55.5%..........24.2%
* Bottom95%.under$120,846........$32,558.......119,709K.........66.0%...........$3,265..........44.5%..........10.0%

* Top6-10%...$88K-to-121K.......$104,500.........6,300K.........10.9%..........$15,318..........11.0%..........14.6%
* Top10%....above.$87,682.......$210,525........12,601K.........44.9%..........$46,266..........66.5%..........22.0%
* Bottom90%.under.$87,682........$28,714.......113,409K.........55.1%...........$2,595..........33.5%...........9.0%

* Top11-25%...$53K-to-88K........$70,500........18,901K.........21.6%...........$7,891..........17.0%..........11.2%
* Top25%....above.$52,965.......$124,668........31,502K.........66.5%..........$23,264..........83.5%..........18.7%
* Bottom75%.under.$52,965........$20,972........94,506K.........33.5%...........$1,528..........16.5%...........7.3%

* Top26-50%...$26K-to-53K........$39,500........31,503K.........20.3%...........$3,480..........12.5%...........8.8%
* Bottom50%.under.$26,415........$12,430........63,005K*........13.2%.............$557...........4.0%...........4.5%
  * About one-half of the bottom 50% filers payed no income tax.


 - - - continued - - -

 - - - continued - - -



[b][u]The Comparisons[/u]:[/b]
On average, just ONE of "Middle-Class" Taxpayer EARNS as much income as...
* 3.8 people in the bottom 50% of filers...
BUT that same "Middle-Class" Taxpayer [u]PAYS[/u] as much income tax as...
* 12.5 people in the bottom 50% of filers.

On average, just ONE of the top 1% filers EARNS as much income as...
* 74 people in the bottom 50% of filers...
BUT that same ONE person [u]PAYS[/u] as much income tax as...
* 452 people in the bottom 50% of filers.

So...

- The "middle-class taxpayer" earns 3.8 times as much as the "working-poor" but pays [red][b]12.5[/b][/red] times as much in taxes.

- The "filthy-rich" earn 74 times as much as the "working-poor" but pay [b][red]452[/red][/b] times as much in taxes!



[b][u]The Punchline[/u]:[/b]
So, do the 'working-poor' ever say "thank you" to the 'rich' or 'middle class' for paying the bills for most of our nation's Armed Forces, Federal Worker salaries, Federal Pensions, AFDC, WIC, Soc.Sec., and all those other Gov't welfare programs??????????

HA! Yeah, right!

[b]Okay you middle-class drones... now get back to work! [;D]
There's a lot of sheeple out there you're working to support!! [stick]
[/b]



Data Source:
[url=http://www.taxfoundation.org/prtopincome.html]Tax Foundation[/url]
[url=http://www.census.gov/hhes/income/income99/inc99hi.html]US Census[/url]

Those poor rich people......I think I am going to cry after reading the above data.

I would bet those in the top 5% income bracket would rather hang themselves than live the lifestyle of those in the bottom 50% income bracket.

The rich crying about paying taxes gets as old as the alcoholic/drug-addict complaining about having no money.

Be thankfull for what you have. It could be worse.

D348 your kidding right?

SO it's fair that because somebody worked harder, or are smarter, or basically made the right choices they shoud pay not only more but a higher percentage of what they make to the gov. THe fact is that the more money you make the less likely you are to ever require any govt assistance. Why do I pay into a program that I recieve nothing from? That would be like you buying a gun and me taking it and using it because I didn't feel like working hard enough to buy one myself. It is injustice to require someone to pay more simply becase they have done better in life. People are only worth what they produce or the services the provide. If you do neither then you are WORTHLESS.

No I am not rich. I made all of 21,000 last year when I worked. I was also a full time college student when I wasn't working because some day I would like to be making alot of money. Economically most taxes produce dead weight loss on society and the higher the tax the greater the loss to society. Since only about 20% of all federal money is used on the things that a govt should provide (military, infastructure,basic monetary and govt system) and the rest is used on things to make the weak feel all warm and fuzzy in-side. I would personally like to have about 80% of my tax money back and not give it to some 2 dollar whore who has popped out three kids, with no father and no job to suport them. Or some minority who thinks the world's aginst them and society owes them.

The only tax that should exist is a poll tax. Every person pays X amount of dollars a year to support the needs of govt. No matter how much you make. That is the ONLY fair way.

All I know is that I sure paid my damn share. I don't happen to believe that anyone should pay more than 10% to fed or 5% to state. The percentage I get hit with is huge. AND I make "too much" to get an IRA, Roth IRA, or deduct my student loans(110K in debt to go to med school), etc,etc,etc. Damn, I hate liberals. If they ever end entitlement programs the democratic party will wither and die in no time. Can you imagine all the whining and crying that would lead to?

I did get 10.5K for a return this week, though, since I changed jobs and maxed out on SSI twice last year. Think I'll get a couple of new toys[:D]

I'm all for a flat tax. Everyone pay the same PERCENT. In this way, EVERYONE will be contributing "equally" and I also believe that more of the nation would pay attention at election time as well as want to know were every damn penny goes that the Gov't spends.
Another effect would be to unite all Americans as they could finally feel that they are part of something.

Hielo - You listening???  what happened to your "paid my taxes and boy am I pissed" thread?

I am not rich either, but I work really hard.  I had to sacrifice a lot to get as far as I have, and should not be penalized for it.  If I work twice as hard, I should not have to pay more tax than 2 lazy poor people.  I think a flat tax is the way to go.  Plus all of the money we would save cutting back the IRS.

Hielo pays the taxes. [:p]

D348

I'm in the lower part of the top 5%.  In order to get there I had to work very hard most of my life.

1.  I had to give up a lot of enjoyment while in the Army to save up money to go to help supplement the GI Bill so I could go to college.  Some of those not in the 5% bracket chose to use their money for beer and prostitutes.

2.  When I got back from Vietnam I had to hit the books hard for four years when other people were enjoying themselves a whole lot more than me.

3.  While working an 8 hour a day job I attended night school in order to get a masters degree in engineering.  A lot of people not in the 5% bracket chose to enjoy themselves rather than put in the hard work to get a graduate degree.

4.  While working myself up through the management ranks I gave up a lot of time at night and on the weekends while other people were enjoying themselves.  Working 60+ hour workweeks.  Getting up a 4:30 in the morning so I can be there when the junior engineers arrive and being the last one to leave at night has been of the price I paid for being in the top 5%.

Now can you tell me why somebody else should get one red cent of my hard earned money through taxes?  What do I owe to anybody who chose to work less hard than me?  Why does anyone think that I am less deserving of being able to enjoy the fruits of my labors?

I hate left wing redistribution of income punks!

Well, as we all know, there are lies, damn lies, and statistics.

I'd still rather pay 27.5% of $914,936 than 4.5% of $12,430.  You?

It's kinda like comedian who says, "Women say that men are pigs.  It's probably true.  Too bad we own everything! BWAHAHAHA!"


edited cuz I'm not *smart* enough to make 900k/year....

Don't forget that the income tax isn't the only tax.  There's also:
- The capital gains tax
- The estate tax
- Property taxes
- Sales taxes
- Excise taxes
- Social Security taxes
and more that I can't remember right now.

Bzzzzzt. I'm sorry - wrong answer! [:D]

No, it's not 4.5%. [:(]
And it's not 27.5% either! [>(]

You see the correct answer was:
"Secret Option #3" - The Flat Tax. [bounce]

Again, we thank you for playing along and remind you to pick up your [s]losers[/s] consolation prize at the door, an autographed copy of "It Takes A Village". [}:D]

The top post would lead me to believe that the tax burden should be shifted from the rich to the working poor. How would this be possible? The term working poor would indicate no money?

A poll tax! Just how would this take the tax burden off the middle class, or the rich?

The GI bill is funded by who?  The Govt. Sounds like a Govt. funded subsidy to send the non-wealthy to college.  I hate left wing redistribution of income punks! But I'll take their money.

Why do you guys believe in a flat tax? I'm doing a dual major in college, engineering and economics. Right now I'm studying public sector econ. Does a flat tax rate equate benefits, to costs? NO! The serivces (the only ones that a govt should provide) a govt provides the people of this country are not related to income but are equal across all people. We all benefit from military protection equally. Everyone who drives benefits from roads. Everyone who uses money beenfits from having a basic unit of money. We all benefit from having a govt to do what is necessary to protect our country in times of war. A poll tax is econimically defined as a tax on every person in the country. EVERYONE pays the exact same amount. Every living human being in the country. This is the only way to have a tax that has NO dead weight loss and is therefore the most econimically efficient. It is also the most equitable solution in my opinion. But this wouldn't be fair to the lazy people right????[:(!][:(!][:(!]

Amen brother but it WILL NEVER HAPPEN because the Demorats that are empowered by those that do nothing but are "entitled" to take hand outs will ALWAYS vote to keep those people in office.

Well until that alternative reality slips in and replaces the one most of us live in, I'd still rather complain about paying, say, $34k on $207k worth of income than "only" having to pay $557 on $12k worth of income.

Would I rather pay less?  No, duh!

Flat tax?  Is it going to happen in our lifetime?  I doubt it!  The top 1% basically runs things and makes the rules, right?  If so, why isn't it already that way?

Your personal signed poster of the "Village People" is being hand delivered- watch out for that *buff* postman with the handlebar mustache (or is it the construction worker?)

[:P]

True, but as [b]Renamed[/b] says, there's a whole lot more they pay than just income tax.

Besides, stealing is stealing, whether the victim can afford it or not.

And yes, I believe "income tax" IS immoral thievery.

I guess that shows that the top 1% really doesn't run the show, right?

Great.

Great target. [;)]

The top Federal tax rate is 38.6% as of '02.

In Oklahoma the State tax rate is 7%.

Once you reach the top bracket on Federal taxes, the government is taking $ 0.46 of every dollar you earn.  With what is left you pay sales taxes, property tax, car tags, etc.

It is never fair to take that much of someone's money for the operation of the government.  What could the nation possibly provide someone to deserve that percentage of their earnings? After all it is earnings that are being taxed this way.  Nobody is being given this money they had to work for it.  

You just wait about 3 more years when the AMT starts pinching into the "middle class" pockets even more than it did this year.  There will be a lot of suprised people who are going to be really ticked off that no matter what they do they are going to pay more taxes.

This was my first year of paying taxes as a married person.  It was nice to see that we paid the government a significant amount more in taxes than I made.  Feels good working for the government all year.

I have lived on both sides of the income coin.  I remember when having ten bucks in my pocket was a big deal.  The funny thing is that life was a lot easier and care free when I was poor.  Job didn't pay much but had little responisbility and when I left work my day was done.  Now I constantly have at least something hanging over my head.  

Couldn't afford a car at the time but I learned to love motorcycles, especially my $500 Honda CB400.  

Couldn't afford to eat out much but I loved spaghetti and Prego and 3 for 5 dollar pizzas.  

It was also comforting that I was making so little I didn't have to pay hardly anything in income taxes.  Now I feel sick, not just at paying the money, but for what it is going to and what it is promoting.  I feel like the Russian prisoner paying for his own execution.

Sorry, I just hate people who play the "poor" card. We all make choices in this life and live with the consequences.  Sure, some people have it a bit easier, but hey, thats how life works.  Get over it.

The idea is not to shift the tax burden to the middle class and poor, but to remove the tax burden all together.  WTF do we need a federal tax for anything but defense.  Can't the state govt. provide for pretty much every other function and do it better?  And we need about 5% of the current state and federal govt. size for them to perform their constitutional functions.  Ugh!  This acceptance of the current state of government just drives me crazy.  You pay over half of what you make in taxes and just accept it?  Didn't we fight the revolution over less?  How is this any better than the Fuedal system where you gave half your crops to the Duke?  Remember, Robin Hood didn't steal from the rich to give to the poor.  He was a tax protester!  Even though every year we take it up the ass and say thank you, may I have another, I can't believe we don't at least pay lip service to freedom.  I am sad.

The end user of any product!

An ore company digs ore out of the ground and sells it to a refinery, the gov. taxes them, and they pass it along to the refinery.

The refinery makes steel from the ore, then sells it to an auto body manufacture, the gov. taxes them, and they pass it along to the auto body manufacture.

The auto body manufacture sell an auto body to ford, the gov. taxes them, and they pass it along to YOU.


etc................

The above is where most of the taxes come from!

[b]The_Macallan[/b], dude, you have the best posts man!


... right on!

... right on bro

If I read the chart correctly, $26,415 was the average AGI?  I did 33 returns this year, and I didn't see anyone with that much taxable income, much less the average?  That's over $13 per hour of taxable (after deductions) income!  (assuming 40 hours per week 50 weeks per year)  


You're forgetting the earned income tax credit.  I did several returns this year where the person got back more than they paid!  How do you compute that in the averages?  The %TotTaxesPaid is negative for many people in that income range.  One guy's I did even got the EITC added to his weekly pay check.  That's a neat (for lack of a better term) scam.

Of course, I'm overly sensitive wrt to taxes at the moment.  I finished mine about an hour ago, and I have to pay nearly everything I've got in my savings.  The 15.3% FICA tax on contract work is a killer.  I knew it was going to be bad, but I thought my $800 per month health insurance bills and $15K in wife's hospital bills would have helped more than they did.  How's the song go, "another year older and deeper in debt..."  Well, I'm not in debt, but at this rate I won't be able to make that claim before I go.z

As I agree with your post,I do believe the real welfare recipents are big business!!!

That airline bailout is a joke !!!!!!!!!

Fired them all, start over.

By the way did anyone see that american airlines 747 rolled unto a 4 lane highway in L.A. the 9 th of april.

The Boston Tea Party was a protest of a three penny per pound of tea tax.  Now, we pay 15.3% of our income for just FICA!  I think it's time to dump some senators in the Boston harbor.z

PS:  I'm still steaming about my last post.  I counted income from two sources that I didn't receive a 1099 from.  I'm too honest for my own good.

Wait until some of you guys move up the ladder so to speak. You'll work your ass off to get there only to find out that after getting royally screwed by the gov't you're not much ahead of where you were to start with. All for a bunch of losers standing there with their hand out, "me,me,me", "gimme, gimme, gimme". Fuck 'em. They all need a good kick in the ass. They'd be better off and so would all the rest of us.

[b]SLAVERY[/b](but it's not a conspiracy!)

Letting the airline industry go belly up would do some severe damage to the tourist industry and the industries that support tourism, such as food and lodging.

This tax talk reminds me. I should be receiving my income tax return check any day now.

I think a flat tax rate is a good idea. The reason, imho, that we have progressive taxation is just for the government to collect more money to pay for their liberal/democratic programs. Progressive taxation is Bull$hit.

D348

You may not understand this but the GI Bill was FOR SERVICES RENDERED.

[stick]

ditto

I think the Flat Tax is the way to go, even 15% would be better than all the confusing codes they have now.

I also think Goverment should be cut by 5% every year for the next 10 years. Currently 1/3 of us work for some goverment body, we need to get people working in private industry.

Hey, those Demorats gotta have SOME way to pay for the votes they're getting, can't touch those taxes.

My shop is two doors down from the welfare office, you should see the $$$'s that drive in and out of there, probably better cars than most of us on this forum own.

No, the Average Adjusted Gross Income of all filers is $46,896.

This is simple math:
Sum Total AGI of all filers / Total # filers =
$5,909,329,000,000 / 126,009,000 =
$46,896


AGI is not your "taxable income", that is your total taxable income BEFORE deductions.

Yeah,rich folks got it BAD;they make MILLIONS
and pay thousands in taxes.GIVE ME A BREAK!!!
(TAX BREAK)Do you expect me to BELIEVE that
a person who makes say,$700,000 a year and
pays say $65,000 in taxes is CRIMPING
THIER STYLE?PUULEEZZEE!!I guess you'll have to let one of the butlers go(we only have 3 now honey..sniff,sniff),cut down on all of those PORSCHES you buy EVERY week,trim a little fat off your daily routine(settle for only 2 trips to the bahammas this week).If these examples
above describe you then you need to do as
you preach to ALL us 'po' folks and LIVE
WITHIN YOUR MEANS!!!!QUIT BITCHIN ABOUT BEING
RICH!!YOU'RE NOT STARVING,BROKE,OR WORRIED ABOUT
ANYONE BUT YOUR OWN GREEDY SELVES.THINK ABOUT THIS...IF YOU MAKE $700,000 A YEAR;THEN IN 3 YEARS IF YOU LIVED MODESTLY THEN YOU COULD RETIRE A MILLIONARE WITH NOT A CARE IN THE WORLD.THE INTREST ALONE WOULD BE ENOUGH TO SUPPORT A FAMILY OF 5 FOR LIFE.YOUR GREED WILL
BE YOUR DEMISE.

NO FEDERAL INCOME TAX!!!

First of all - [b]IT'S NOT YOUR FOCKING MONEY[/B] so fock-off!!

The point of this thread has just been illustrated by ungrateful, shiteating-muthafockers like YOU [b]SlackDaddy[/b].

The "rich" pay for YOUR FREEDOM and you turn around and piss on their lifestyle that pays most of the money to provide YOU with the greatest nation on earth!!! GO FOCK YOURSELF!!!

Yeah, the rich ARE [u]very[/u] rich - more than most will ever know. BUT they are paying for most of this country's bills. And they are paying WAY more than anyone can ever justify.

They pay more in taxes in one year than you make in your whole pathetic life working as a toilet brush - which is probably all your trained to do.

So if you're so poor, go pick the scabs out of your ass and serve them up with ketchup and fries to you your other no-teeth, maggot-faced unthankful parasites you call a family.

MY,MY,..Touched a nerve didn't I?You SURE are
TOUGH hiding behind that computer of yours.
So,Richboy,I see that your also too scared to recieve emails.(scared?)PATHETIC!!For ALL your
RICHES,you can't even debate what I posted
w/o resorting to making comments about someones FAMILY.(Your momma taught you well)(OOPS),(touched ANOTHER NERVE)lol.

You just SHOT your own credibility in the face.
I guess that I expected MORE from a SUPPOSED 'richboy',than that.For ALL your EDUCATION(that momma paid for), and THAT was the BEST you could do?What a waste.Just goes to
PROVE that MONEY CAN'T buy intellengence.lol

Talk like that is USELESS.  It only breeds class-envy, which you are displaying here in an admirable fashion.  Thank you.

At what point is it OK to not hate/despise/revile/envy the tax group above you?  I'm not at the top, but I'd like to "move on up" like my hero, George Jefferson.  You never heard him bitching about the tax brackets above him.  By your logic, you should get shafted because somebody BELOW you is envious, and thinks you have it easy.

Rich folks DO have it easy.And THAT's OK !!
What pisses ME off is when they WHINE about
things that are't REALLY HURTING them.SOME
rich folks (NOT ALL)aren't THANKFUL for what
they have.It's OK to want MORE out of life,
but quit COMPLAINING about it to others who
are less fortunate.Thier lifestyles aren't
hampered ONE BIT buy what they pay in taxes.
They are RICH!!Paying 100,000 in taxes ain't
hurting a man making 3 million a year.If
so,Show me HOW it does,and I'll show you a
self-centered,greedy POS who would sell his MOMMA to the highest bidder for a buck.It's
NOT about being rich,It's about a lack of
MORALS on the part of a SELFISH person.

Ok all you jackasses who think that 100000 is a lot of pretax money. MY PARENTS this year pulled some money out of their retirement to help my grandmother with some of her bills and things and that put them in a higher tax bracket, (over 124,000) and now they have to come up with 9000 extra dollars to pay off their tax bill.  which they will have to get out of savings, which 9000 in the years of interest they will not be getting is like an extra 50000 that they won't have when they need it most when they are retired and trying to pay their own medical bills.
-CK

Everyone who is for never responding to MAC-Daddy again please vote now.

At least get your figures straight... an income of three million (that's a 3 with 6 zero's after it), generates a tax bill of at least ONE MILLION TWO HUNDRED THOUSAND dollars.  That's $1,200,00, figured at a CONSERVATIVE rate of 40% for all taxes.

In your earlier example, an income of $700,000 generates a tax bill of at least $280,000.  

It's pretty damn sure the terminally stupid will never get rich, or ever have to worry about doing such complicated math, let alone have the werewithal to ever understand why any of this ever happens or what to do about it.

Have a nice life!

This must mean I pay very little taxes, I wish I made more so I could!

I do mind paying taxes when all they are is income transfer on the part of politicians to BUY VOTES.

When you look at your check and see the government is in your pocket and you need diapers for the kids  and there is your money going to some worthless federal program to study the mating habits of a SOUTH AFRICAN VERMIN.

Roads fine -- no problem
Defense -- no problem ( kept in line)
Social security -- big problem currently the program is defunct and i will never see any of the money I paid in and they will tax the grandkids to death to support it.

I might point out that Russia has a flat tax. [shock]

As for MacDaddy -- get a job and got to work. [stick]  IF you make 100K/yr you should be able to keep it -- you worked for it.  Not the blue hairs that LIVE IN FLORIDA, that cannot fill out a ballot that a 4th grader figures out easily.

Yes I don't like paying for public schoos ( public indroctrination camps that are compeled by the state) that do not teach what a child needs to really know.
Yes, I hate having to pay the hospitalization bill for the welfare mother of 18 who just had her 4th kid. She is only capible of reproducing and not raising her kids, the state will do that for her.

When they start taking your money for the "social programs" that not only do not do what they are supposed to do, but retard a persons independence and self-reliance. In effect making that person a ward of the state, then they are crippled because there is no desire, or need beyond "feed me and take care of me".  The government will abuse these people and thats the true crime.

MacDaddy grow a brain.

IF I take $100 out of your wallet ( yea we know you don't have any money) and give it tothe drunk on the corner so he can buy more thunderbird, you are going to be happy HUH?  hehe i thought not.

My biggest bitch with income tax is it basically penalizes productivity. You work harder at your job, providing more of a service and hoping for a bigger paycheck, and the feds take a higher percentage of your income because you've made more. You might as well just work your straight 40 because averaging 10 hours OT per week at 1.5X sure doesn't increase your take-home pay by 37.5%. There's no simple answer, but I can't help but thinking a sales tax would be better - it penalizes you for consuming goods with a finite supply. Although then you get into the drawbacks, such as people not spending as freely, which slows down the economy. Maine constantly bitches about its residents going to NH to shop so they don't have to pay sales tax, and actually instituted a "use tax" about 10 years ago - anything you use in the state of Maine but didn't pay ME sales tax on is subject to being taxed in the year of purchase. Go to ME DMV to register a 15-year-old vehicle you paid $3000 for and you're gonna end up paying $300 or so in taxes, tag, and title fees. So it's not only income tax, they manage to kill you by nickel & diming you to death.


MAC-DADDY,

I don't know a lot of "rich" folks, but the ones I do know got their money through hard work, long hours, and just plain luck. They didn't steal any of it, nor does it mean that someone else loses a dollar for every extra dollar a "rich" person makes. I don't give a FUCK about their lifestyles, but if someone makes 10X as much as I do then he should pay 10X as much in taxes - not 20X, and not 40% of his income (I actually don' believe a person's income or worth should be the basis for taxes.) Your argument is the same one that every welfare advocate, race hustler, and equal-outcome bitch makes - "they have more than you, so they should have to give some of it to you." People like you are part of the reason we get taxed out the ass when we earn our money, taxed out the ass when we spend it, forced at gunpoint to pay taxes on our property every year (that we paid taxes on when we bought it using money that had been taxed when we earned it), and after we die our descendants are forced to sell what we've willed them in order to pay the death and inheritance taxes.

My Brother:  High powered Exec for a national  retail chain - makes a ton of money.  Has a 30K pool in his backyard.

My Sister:  Currently employed as an  administrative assistant.  Between her and her husband, they have a lot of toys.  Nothing else.

My Brother again:  80 hour work week is  standard.  EARNS every damn penny he makes.  Pays a ton of money to the IRS in recognition  for his extra effort.

My Sister: Floats from job to job; claims Earned Income Tax Credit at the end of the year.
Rewarded for lack of diligence.

Which is the grasshopper and which is the Ant?

I like the idea mentioned earlier of everyone paying the same [b]amount[/b] instead of the same percentage. Suppose we have a flat tax and I make 10 times as much as you. This means I pay 10 times as much in taxes. Do I get 10 times as much service from the gov for my taxes?