Governor Rick Perry has released some details of a flat-ish tax plan which critics say weakens Social Security, complicates the tax code and raises tax for the vast majority, but, to no one’s surprise, heavily favors the super rich and multinational corporations. One of the weirder features the plan creates a parallel tax code. That detail and others already have some conservative economists panning the plan widely:
Taxes cannot be lower for everyone and still raise the same amount of money. For each dollar your taxes are lower, someone else’s must be a dollar higher. … If you want to give everyone a tax cut, all you have to do is lower the tax rate. This has nothing to do with flatness. … would a flat tax make paying taxes “simpler”? Under Gingrich’s and Perry’s “optional” arrangement, people will have to figure their taxes twice. That’s not simpler.
Yeah, but did I mention how much it lowers taxes on the Fortune 500 and billionaires?
If it doesn’t include the same rate on capital gains, it ain’t flat.
That kills 99% of these idiotic schemes on contact.
I don’t understand what is so difficult about taxation. I am but one person; why should I not be required to pay one single tax that would fund every single level of government?
One tax, not several dozen, or several hundred, or … Shit! I lost count.
Why must I bleed from a thousand cuts? Why am I continually ambushed by politicians with an overactive imagination? Did you know that we recently instituted a 10% federal exise tax on tanning salons? tanning salons, for fuck’s sake!
There should be a single, simple, progressive tax. (Yes, the rich should have a higher burden.) In my world, no household below the poverty level would pay a dime. And, yes, Warren Buffet would (finally!) pay a higher tax rate than his secretary.
It’s not that difficult to devise a reasonable tax system. Any fairly intelligent person (politicians need not apply) could do better than what we currently have.
Stephen “DarkSyde” Andrew:
As you know, PZ has a new daily feature entitled “Why I Am an Atheist”. I’d like to suggest that The Zingularity sponsor a similar series of guest posts with the topic: “A Perfect National Tax System:”. With the quadrennial circus already under way, it would be a very timely topic. I’ll even volunteer to kick things off with about 2000 well-chosen words. :)
(Tim, If you would like to put together a short outline or prelim draft I’d be happy to at least look at it. – DS)