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The Pros And Cons Of Progressive Tax

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The reason why progressive taxation is considered fairer and why flat taxation policy is avoided is because the people with lower income have lower ability to pay and the major part of their income is spent on necessities, a flat taxation policy would burden them more. Both the taxation policy have their pros and cons. A progressive tax shifts the burden on the people with higher income, it reduces the amount that the people with lower income pay. Because it reduces the burden of tax it results in reduction for the need of subsidies. Meanwhile a flat taxation system reduces the tax burden on people with high income and gives them an opportunity to further increase their investment. Several reasons can be given to justify progressive taxation policy over flat taxation policy. One reason is that those who earn more can afford to pay more, without having to curtail their standard of living or in any way reducing their chances of prospering Also another important justification is that the small businesses find it difficult and struggle more compared to the big ones and hence burdening them with large amount of tax will …show more content…

For example, economists Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez wrote that decreased progressiveness in US tax policy in the post World War II era has increased income inequality by enabling the wealthy greater access to capital.[14] Conversely, a report published by the OECD in 2008 presented empirical research showing a negative relationship between the progressivity of taxes and economic growth.[15] Describing the research, William McBride, a staff writer with the Tax Foundation, stated that progressivity can undermine investment, risk-taking, entrepreneurship, and productivity because high-income earners tend to do much of the saving, investing, risk-taking, and high-productivity

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