Taxes

[kolte]

You know, I have allways be intrested in flat tax, I think most people who know what it is have been as well. Flat tax is defined as: A system that taxes everyone at the same rate, regardless of their income bracket That means that the billionaire Mr. Gates, who is paying almost half of his income to the Federal Income Tax, and Mrs. Webber down the road who is payin 10 percent of her income to the Federal Income Tax would instead both pay something like 12% of there income. This would make every single person who makes over 100000+ a year happy, and also less complicated. The middleclass too would like it I think. Its just the lower class, who right now, pay very little of there income as tax, that whould be in dismay. However, I think its a good idea. I also support a higher tax on luxuray items like rings, and cars., and a lower tax on non'luxuary items like food and paper. Now debate, ye debators, your thoughts on Tax.

[redcar]

i like the system of tax in Ireland. we have two rates of income tax. a lower and upper.

you get charged the lower for the first...about €32,000 you earn....which is set at 22%. any money you earn after that is charged at 40%. but also any person who is on minimum wage do not pay any income tax.

then we also have value added tax on all goods bought, which is at 21% for most goods, 12 and half % for services and then 0% for childrens shoes and childrens goods and other things.

now some people think that the taxes here are too high, but we get a lot back from our taxes. we have free education. thats free primary secondry and free university. a very good health system and a social services system thats second to none.

[Webbeardthepirate]

Your VAT is up too 21%? Wholy sweet crap. We have a state by state sales tax, and it rarely gets above 8% and it is added on at the till so that we don't lose track of how much the tax is every time we buy something. And our highest tax rate is only 36%. We do phase out deductions as well so people like Bill Gates now pay all of that, unless they try and hide the money in the caymen islands or in a Swiss bank (regular readers will recal I hate the Swiss) and this is of course Illegal; and if you get caught you get to go to one of our lovley resort penitentiaries where you get to sleep in a room with 30 other nonviolent offenders in bunk beds and every one gets to watch when you take a crap, like summer camp but the doors lock from the outside.

The argument for a flat tax is it's simplicity. It always seems like a bad ideato try and do social policy with tax incentives.

[redcar]

Your VAT is up too 21%? Wholy sweet crap.

but because it is included in the price when we see something adevertsied or wat ever we dont notice it. like if they were simply to take it off the price and just add it on at the till when we bought then there wouldnt be very many happy Irish people!:D

[kolte]

Your VAT is up too 21%? Wholy sweet crap.

but because it is included in the price when we see something adevertsied or wat ever we dont notice it. like if they were simply to take it off the price and just add it on at the till when we bought then there wouldnt be very many happy Irish people!:D

yeah but still thats insanity. Texas has the highest sales tax, about 13% however, it has no state tax, so it evens out in the end.

[redcar]

Your VAT is up too 21%? Wholy sweet crap.

but because it is included in the price when we see something adevertsied or wat ever we dont notice it. like if they were simply to take it off the price and just add it on at the till when we bought then there wouldnt be very many happy Irish people!:D

yeah but still thats insanity. Texas has the highest sales tax, about 13% however, it has no state tax, so it evens out in the end.

yea but u get what you pay for and we get superp education, health and social services systems.

[kolte]

Your VAT is up too 21%? Wholy sweet crap.

but because it is included in the price when we see something adevertsied or wat ever we dont notice it. like if they were simply to take it off the price and just add it on at the till when we bought then there wouldnt be very many happy Irish people!:D

yeah but still thats insanity. Texas has the highest sales tax, about 13% however, it has no state tax, so it evens out in the end.

yea but u get what you pay for and we get superp education, health and social services systems.

but the real issue isnt education, health and social service. Its weather or not you think a flat tax is a good idea? so do you think it would be a good iidea.

[redcar]

a flat tax for everyone? absolutly not. people who earn more can and should give more to support their country. where as those on less incomes should be afforded tax breaks to help them.

[kolte]

a flat tax for everyone? absolutly not. people who earn more can and should give more to support their country. where as those on less incomes should be afforded tax breaks to help them.

but what about equality. Just because the upper class makes more money they should have to fork over more money? were is the justice in that? they worked hard to reach were they are at, a flat tax would give them a break from the RIDICULAS taxes that they have to give. To help the lower class, we should get a welfare system that, instead of supporting them, helps them off o welfare. Make more free education etc.

[redcar]

make more free education and create a better welfare syetem to get them working.....which might i add we have in Ireland....costs money. like where do you plan to get the money to do all that? you cant have your cake and eat it my friend.

[advent_child]

I agree, flat taxes are fair. Texas has one of the worst education systems in the nation. I think that they need a state tax, but they will never have one. Too much oil tycoons...George Bush for example.

[TheWizard]

Taxes suck. The government spends way more than it takes in. Thus, we will be paying for government mismanagement for many many years ahead. Taxes suck.

[advent_child]

Yes, I concur, but without them the government could not function... unless you support this weird form of anarco-communism that one of my classmates roots for.

[teenhelp]

a national income tax wasn't implemented until 1913 and the government ran fine.