EQUALITY. A term used from previous ancestors that came to America for freedom. A term used from Americans that fought for their equal rights today. A term avoided in the state of being taxed. Two out of three tax systems are set to be genuinely unfair to Americans of the lower and upper class: a progressive system and a regressive system. Today, Americans are paying in a progressive tax system which is when the tax rate will increase if the taxable income increases (“Preface to…”). Americans pay an average of 18.2% on federal income, 10.6% on state, 7.65% on social security and Medicaid, 10.3% on sales tax and so forth (“How Much Tax…”). The one system that will work for our nation’s economy and benefit the people is known as the …show more content…
In 2000, federal spending was at 18.2%; in 2007, federal spending was at 19.6%; but in three years since 2089, federal spending reached to 24.4% (Morong). With the economy, the government feels obligated to spend money to prove to America that the government is doing everything they can to help the people and the economy. However with all the spending, the money is being invested towards unnecessary things that are not really needed. So much of the federal taxes are heading towards social security retirement benefits and Medicare insurance which is ruling out the education and other programs for every citizen (Sullivan). Increasing taxes will only leave extra money for the government to spend on unnecessary programs and benefits.
With a flat tax rate, people with a higher income will not have to pay as much as in a progressive system. People can actually make a substantial living without the worry of taxes pulling them back. Families would be able to spend more money to benefit the economy (satisfying our Republicans). The progressive tax system allows a family of four to hold and protect $18,000 of income after taxes, but a flat tax rate will help the family of four obtain twice the amount after taxes (Tate). In other words, setting a flat tax rate will decreased the poverty rate and create more jobs, because there is more money in peoples’ pockets,
A land of safety, liberty, and pure happiness is all America standards. America provides a residency full of freedoms. It was a popular place to seek a new beginning. Many people came to the country to find something they had always longed for. They only saw America for its dream.
Flat tax and progressive tax either can be considered fair or well put together for the American people since it has a rational approach towards taxation. However they do vary from each other when it comes to its treatment of the wealthy people, and each of this system is biased and discriminatory, but at least one good aspect of progressive tax is that people of lower income are still paying low and under flat tax they will end up paying same as a wealthy individual who is well. Only because the name of a policy sounds progressive does not mean its action has to be. Furthermore, the current progressive tax policy is only a few steps away from becoming the flat tax and there is no difference among these two. So if the flat tax is being implemented in the United States it will have validity to do more harm to the majority of the Americans then giving them any
Equality is something Americans strive to provide and maintain. It has become an integral and necessary part of our mosaic culture. Even now to the point that when people think of America, they naturally think of freedom and equality. People of many different races, disabilities and creeds have come to the United States seeking the impartiality upon which this country was founded. The institutions of this country have relied upon it, just as it was the created by the events in the laying of moral foundations. The expression of America's citizens plays an extremely significant role in the history of equality in American society. In the pursuit of equality and the "American Dream," people have authored inspiring
First off, there are many people who do not even know what a flat tax is. By definition, a flat tax is described as, “a very precisely defined and coherent tax structure: a combination of a cash-flow tax on business income and a tax on workers’ income, both levied at the same, single rate” (Keen 4). Now, this just means that every person and every business, no matter the income, would be taxed at the same rate. Realistically speaking, when people talk about taxes, it is a matter of who wins and who loses. If we decided to adopt a flat tax system, people of lower income families would be suffering, “Under the flat tax, low-income households would lose because they now pay no income tax and are eligible for a refundable EITC of up to $3,370” (Gale 155). With this being said, the families of higher income would actually be thriving of a system
Equality is the state or quality of being equal; correspondence in quantity,degree, value, rank, or ability. Everyone, despite the color of your skin, age, religion, or gender should be considered equal. However, based on your background can debate how you see it. According to Anika Chaganti equality is “Equality is everyone having the same fundamental rights, no matter the circumstance. Equality is everyone having the same worth.”. Equality is a lofty goal our country still strives for. For African Americans, equality would simply be to be treated like every white person in America, treated fairly, given the same opportunities, and to be looked at like a regular human being, not as someone who is “different” or “strange”.
Within the United States, there is an unequal collection and distribution of resources. The current unequal or socially unjust tax system is a direct contrast to the social justice theories of John Rawls. The taxation discrepancy has ramifications on many important aspects of our society, such as health care, employment, old age security, and education. These issues affect everyone in our society, regardless of age, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Thorough more equal taxation, we have the potential to create a more society as a whole.
A flat tax system in the United States by definition refers to taxing household incomes at the same rate regardless of income levels. Advocates of a flat tax system argue that it will simplify U.S. tax codes and eliminate other taxes. Opponents of a flat tax system argue that it only benefits wealthy individuals and would eliminate the IRS causing wide-spread unemployment. Here are some of the pros and cons of a flat tax system.
In conclusion, there are several valid points on both sides of the argument of adopting a flat federal tax. Doing so would undoubtedly make the process of filing taxes much easier, but in my opinion, flat rate taxes should not be an option. I do not find it fair to tax a certain percentage of income which would be a big hit to lower income households and businesses, but a more minimal hit to someone with a higher income. To a wealthy person, that percentage of money could mean sacrificing something relatively unimportant,
This argument is mostly dished out by The Republican Party, they also say we need to cut taxes and lower government spending. Both of these claims make no sense and have no logical evidence behind them but like the first argument against higher taxes the only evidence is pessimism. There is more evidence against it, “Contrary to what Republicans would have you believe, super-high tax rates on rich people do not appear to hurt the economy or make people lazy: During the 1950s and early 1960s, the top bracket income tax rate was over 90%--and the economy, middle-class, and stock market boomed” (Blodget). With a 500 billion dollar deficit, “a $503 billion deficit” (Amadeo), lower taxes would not help. Cutting back government spending would do more damage to the economy because one of the first thing to be cut back would most likely be education, keeping the people who cannot afford private school less educated thus having less educated people and as the world continues to grow smarter leaving behind the children of The United States would not be a good
The Republican Party also supports a flat tax in addition to these tax cuts. Tax policies that divide Americans into separate groups aren’t something that Republicans agree with, such as raising taxes for the upper-class citizens. Republicans believe that the fairest way to tax United States citizens is to make everyone pay a certain percentage, no matter what your income is. In February of 2014 the Republicans released a tax reform plan. This plan included lower tax rates across the board, a new bank tax, and the elimination of state and local income tax deductions. The main goal of the proposal would be to eliminate 4 of the 7 tax brackets in the United States and create a 3-bracket system. This new system would drastically decrease many people’s tax rates. However, people who are at the bottom of the brackets would experience an increase in their tax rates.
Flat tax is a system that would impose a single tax rate on all income subject to tax. Income would be taxed once and only once. Individuals and businesses would pay the same rate. The plan eliminates all deductions and credits. The only income not subject to tax would be a generous personal exemption that every American would receive. And no loopholes. Just a simple tax system that treats every American the same.
America is approaching equality. First, it is important to understand what the word equality means. According to the
"A revolutionary change in our tax system is fundamental to re-energizing the American economy and restoring the American dream" (Moore 1). Currently, there are two major plans being considered to try and fix the tax system in the United States. These two plans are the Flat Tax and the National Retail Sales Tax. "Both the Flat Tax and a National Sales Tax would replace today's discriminatory tax structure with a single low rate. Either plan would promote the kind of capital formation that America needs to boost workers' incomes and raise long-term economic growth" (Mitchell 1). This means that the flat tax would take away the savings from the government and pass them on to the citizens and businesses. By doing this, there would be a rise in long-term economic growth.
The supporters of the Flat Tax system are quick to point out this system's attributes but not as quickly as the criticisms by those who oppose it. The filing of taxes each year would be much easier because there would be one set rate to pay. This type of system also discourages, and makes it almost impossible, to find and use any existing schemes that are present to avoid paying taxes. However, because there is a set rate at which everyone needs to pay, this system is quite unfair. Those who earn and have a lot of money should not pay the same amount as someone who has only a fraction of their wealth. The wealthier you are, the more you should pay because you can afford it. If there is a set tax rate it would be too high to some people and pocket change to others. A system like this also takes away many, if not all tax deductions. An event like this would cause irreparable injury to the middle class, who often times rely heavily on money they will get back from tax deductions.
Policy makers have introduced a solution to the staggering proportion of taxes that Americans spend. The flat tax, based on an idea developed by Professors Robert Hall and Alvin Rabushka of Stanford University to create a fair, simple, and pro-growth tax system (Mitchell 1, 11). There are four basic criteria that make up a flat tax. First is a single low rate on taxable income, the baseline for taxable income would be raised to a certain amount dictated by a personal exemption. Second is simplicity, all Americans would fill out the same postcard-sized form to pay their taxes. Third is the reduction or elimination of deductions, credits, and exemptions, depending