Won't take long now to drain the wealth of the few to tend to the needs

[Wiener]

of the many.


http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2011/10/05/nearly-half-of-households-receive-some-government-benefit/

I think it is time for everyone no matter your wage to pay some taxes. 

[RobinQuillonsHair]

How much should they pay?

How much in taxes should someone making $15,000 per year pay?  Remember they are already paying FICA, state, local and unemployment taxes.

What federal income tax rate would be sufficient?  1%? .5%?, .33%?

[redcap]

Just an observation from many years.

Give somebody anything for free and they will complain it is not enough and it is not good enough.

[yoyo]

observations from not as many years.

• the distribution of wealth in this country has gone in one direction, and it is not down.  this notion that the wealth of the "few" is in jeopardy amuses me.
• to publish an article that says nearly half of the us households are on the government dime, and to include people that receive medicare and social security in the 50%, even though they paid into those programs is silly.
• You can't squeeze blood from a stone
• People love free ****

[beeker]

• the distribution of wealth in this country has gone in one direction, and it is not down.  this notion that the wealth of the "few" is in jeopardy amuses me.

I'm amused that you're amused, but instead of looking at the surface value of getting what you want by all means you must look at taxation realistically.  Compensation for most miiilion- and billionaires is rather modest, considering their actual worth.  They establish corporations that are basically themselves and accept relatively small direct compensation, so when they claim that they should be taxed higher it will have little actual effect on them if they were.  If they have a CFO that they hire as an independant contractor, they provide fewer indirect benifits but do pay them higher.  If that direct compensation is 250K, they'll still pay more taxes then they're billionaire employer.  It's all in the way the proposal is worded, and this one is worded to make the middle class feel angst toward the person who hired them.

[RobinQuillonsHair]

How much should they pay?

What federal income tax rate would be sufficient?  1%? .5%?, .33%?

Also, keep in mind that you want to at least generate enough revenue from the tax to pay for the administering and collection of said tax.

Who else benefits when 50% of the population receives some form of government aid?  How about the people who whine about it?   Or do the recipients invest their gains overseas?

[Wiener]

Considering that 42% of all working American's pay no taxes at all then I think they need to step up and start paying we can be nice and start them at 1%, but given time I am sure our great government system will increase that once they realize that they can make them pay any at all.   Maybe we should just do away with the tax refunds that everyone gets then whatever you pay is what you pay and you aren't getting any money back when you file a tax verification form.

[yoyo]

Considering that 42% of all working American's pay no taxes at all then I think they need to step up and start paying we can be nice and start them at 1%, but given time I am sure our great government system will increase that once they realize that they can make them pay any at all.   Maybe we should just do away with the tax refunds that everyone gets then whatever you pay is what you pay and you aren't getting any money back when you file a tax verification form.

Because you are misinformed, the correct phrase is pay no income tax at all.  Of the 42%(really 46.4%)  28.3% do pay both SS and Medicare (payroll taxes)  These rates are 4.2% (until December when they will go back up to 6.2%) and Medicare at 2.9%.  So they are already paying over your suggested 1% starting point.

Back to squeezing blood from a stone, 10.3% are elderly, and 6.9 are households under $20,000 (which is the current poverty line i think).

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxtopics/federal-taxes-households.cfm

[beeker]

Yoyo, by definition those are not income taxes, they are payroll taxes if you are on a payroll.  So your argument actualy supports the point that everyone does pay what is expected in taxes but we spend more then we take in.  Now the discussion is what is unnecessary.  We have solar and wind research, which is currently under scrutiny and there's biomedical studies of mating habits of bullfrogs.  Defense spending.  Proper size of road sign lettering analysis.  Funding for the travel and catering for at least 600 elected officials.An and of course payroll tax support for those who pay no payroll taxes because they are not on a payroll. 

[Wiener]

Because you are misinformed, the correct phrase is pay no income tax at all.  Of the 42%(really 46.4%)  28.3% do pay both SS and Medicare (payroll taxes)  These rates are 4.2% (until December when they will go back up to 6.2%) and Medicare at 2.9%.  So they are already paying over your suggested 1% starting point.

Back to squeezing blood from a stone, 10.3% are elderly, and 6.9 are households under $20,000 (which is the current poverty line i think).

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/taxtopics/federal-taxes-households.cfm

Well isn't our government squeezing blood from a stone by spending money the don't have on things we don't need?  On people who don't work?  Helping companies and people who don't deserve it?  You see if you want the added revenue then all must pay their fair share FICA, SS, Medicare, State, and local taxes.  Now since you want to whine about things we will just make them pay the lowest standard of any tax they are not currently paying.   
How about since they pay no FICA currently then why do they get more back on a tax return then most people who pay into FICA?  I don't think people who don't pay that tax should be able to get any money back.  Seems like a fair call to me.  If they are so poor that they can't afford to pay a FICA tax then they warrant no FICA tax return check in their mailbox or checking account.  I have lived on fair less than $20,000.00 a year and never starved, always had what I needed, yes needed to survive with out crying to the welfare system for more help that isn't deserved.

[RobinQuillonsHair]

Considering that 42% of all working American's pay no taxes at all then I think they need to step up and start paying we can be nice and start them at 1%,   

Would you eliminate the standard deduction and personal exemptions? If you were a single mother of one earning minimum wage and working full time in 2010 your gross salary would be $15,138.  Your standard deduction as a head of household would be $8400 and two personal exemptions would total $7300.  What's 1% of $15,138 - $15,700?

If taxing this wretch would ease the tax burden on someone who made in excess of $25,000,000 in 2011 and struck out twice in the final innings of his team's big game last night I'm all for it.

[Wiener]

Considering that 42% of all working American's pay no taxes at all then I think they need to step up and start paying we can be nice and start them at 1%,   

Would you eliminate the standard deduction and personal exemptions? If you were a single mother of one earning minimum wage and working full time in 2010 your gross salary would be $15,138.  Your standard deduction as a head of household would be $8400 and two personal exemptions would total $7300.  What's 1% of $15,138 - $15,700?

If taxing this wretch would ease the tax burden on someone who made in excess of $25,000,000 in 2011 and struck out twice in the final innings of his team's big game last night I'm all for it.

Hey I am all for the tax code being rewritten in a much simpler way.  You know minus all the loop holes that seem to be written in there for wealthier people.  I think having wealthy people write the code is a mistake but then that is just me and my way of thinking.     

 I can't do anything about the realm of sports people and what they get paid.  If I had a say they would be capped at about $100,000.00 a year and the sport club they belonged to would pick up the tabs for the rooms and meals and such.  I think that is more than enough money to get paid for doing something you love.  Would make those tickets a hell of a lot cheaper too.  Maybe then poor people could afford to go to a game?  To me it seems like there are idiots writing those paychecks but again that is just me and how I see it.

I would also cap politician's and the office of President and V P along with all other member of government that are elected or appointed by elected officials.  They would make less than the sport guy and yes there would have to be a fund for them to submit their expenses to and it would have to get approved for them to get any money back from them.  It would have to deal with just their district they were elected to represent any expense inccurred from travel or meals that didn't reflect directly back to the people that elected them would be denied.  The Pres and V.P. would have limitations too on what could be reimbursed, along with all the others that are appointed.

I think our biggest problem there is we let them write their own laws and no one else has to approve them but them.  Kinda like letting your kids loose in a candy store and telling them to control themselves with no supervision.  We all know how that would work out.

[RobinQuillonsHair]

But how much more in taxes would you be comfortable in collecting from the hospital cleaning lady with a four year old?  $151.38?  That's not even three tanks of gas for a '92 Caravan.

[Wiener]

But how much more in taxes would you be comfortable in collecting from the hospital cleaning lady with a four year old?  $151.38?  That's not even three tanks of gas for a '92 Caravan.

Okay you wanna get picky if we have 100,000 hospital cleaning ladies it adds up doesn't it?  Do your math, now we have way more than 100,000 people who pay no FICA currently so it would add up to even more and as you so pointed out on an individual level that isn't even three tanks of gas for their old caravan.

[RobinQuillonsHair]

All workers pay FICA.

Our hospital cleaning lady pays $855.30 in FICA in 2011.  If she lives in PA she's paying $466.25 in state taxes and at least $151.38 in local taxes.  The municipality where she works probably takes $52 .  Unemployment taxes would be about $12 or so.  I agree, what's another $151.38?  She still has $13,449 to pay rent, utilities, car insurance, gas, food, childcare, etc.  I hope she has health insurance!