How much tax should a childless min wage worker pay? (statistics, regular)

[InformedConsent]

Originally Posted by middle-aged mom

The people rejected those primary candidates who favored a more regressive tax system.

Neither candidate favors a more regressive tax system.

Maybe next time......

Well... then they shouldn't expect the benefits (more and better social program services) that accrue from such a system.

My problem with many American voters is that they want to have their cake and eat it, too. If they want Euro/Scandi-style social programs, we have to tax regressively like Euro/Scandi countries.

[ringwise]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

I'd like to know why single people have a higher tax burden than married people.

They don't.

[freemkt]

Originally Posted by FatBob96

The same as everyone else pays.

I've never heard a compelling argument as to why any American citizen should pay a higher or lower percentage of their income in taxes than any other American citizen.

You're saying that if a minimum wage worker has zero discretionary income, they have the capacity to pay the same tax as everyone else? Or are you saying it doesn't matter whether that worker has capacity to pay tax or not?

[freemkt]

Originally Posted by Toyman at Jewel Lake

The min wage worker gets the same services from the government (usually far more) than the 100k guy. His vote counts exactly the same. Why shouldn't he pay the same for the same services?

Consider a minimum wage janitor and a government janitor who enjoys 4x as much compensation. Looks like the government janitor receives far more from government than does the minimum wage janitor.

Also, the minimum wage janitor probably doesn't have any kids - certainly the case in my hypothetical example - and before Obama, very little government assistance was available to childless workers. The freebies are for parents and their kids.

[freemkt]

Originally Posted by lepoisson

I'd like to know why single people have a higher tax burden than married people.

Originally Posted by ringwise

They don't.

I can assure you that a single taxpayer earning $50K has a higher tax burden than a married couple earning $50K.

You can look it up.

[RunD1987]

No income tax in my book. Should just be a 10% consumption tax and a flat 10% tax deduction on income that pays for Healthcare coverage. Then a land value tax and a State sales tax.

Do away with federal minimum wage and allow States to create a living wage based off of COL/marriage status/children so forth.

[freemkt]

Originally Posted by InformedConsent

I'd like to know why anyone pays any more tax than anyone else. We all get the same services and benefits, and the lower-income get even more than anyone else.

Because the alternative would necessarily be zero tax for everybody.

Unless you expect individuals with zero income to pay some non-zero amount of tax.

[freemkt]

Originally Posted by MJJersey

Everyone should pay the same percentage regardless of income. People with children should get a credit at tax time.

Whether they have discretionary income or not?

[wolf39us]

Honestly, I think parents should have a higher tax burden than childless or childfree. They utilize more resources by far.

[freemkt]

Originally Posted by Robert_J

The progressive tax system isn't mentioned anywhere in our Constitution but it is part of the Communist Manifesto - The Ten Planks of the Communist Manifesto by Karl Marx

The Framers never ever envisioned an income tax for this country.