Time for a flat tax

[JoeRedskin]

Also, as Schneed said, to retain the same income to provide those silly things like national defense, interstate road systems and commerce, the flat tax would be crippling.

Let's look at just some basic tax rates for a family of four (H+W, 2 dependent kids) taking the standard deduction (rather than itemized) deductions:
Basic tax rates for 2006:

In general, the Family is entitled to a standard deduction of 10,300 plus 3,300/person for a total deduction of 23,500.


Taking with those as your only deductions, the applicable tax rates ARE:

Taxable Income:
23,500- 38,599: 10% of the amount over $23,500

38,600 – 84,799: 1,510.00 plus 15% of the amount over 38,600

84,800 -147,199: 8,440.00 plus 25% of the amount over 84,800

147,200 - 211,049: 24,040.00 plus 28% of the amount over 147,200

211,050 - 360,049: 42,170.00 plus 33% of the amount over 211,450

Over 360,050: 91,043.00 plus 35% of the amount over 360,050

2006 Federal Tax Rate Schedules (the numbers are different b/c I have factored in the standard deductions.

In addition, b/c there are two children, the Family is entitled to a 2,000 tax credit (i.e. subtract that from the amount of taxes owed).


THUS, under the current system, the taxes owed if the Family makes:

20,000: 0 (Simply did not make enough to be taxed)

50,000: 1,220 (3,220- 2000 tax credit)

100,000: 10,240 (12,240-2000)

175,000: 29,824

250,000: 53,024

500,000: 140,025


UNDER THE FLAT TAX:

20,000: 2,000 - Net Effect: 2,000 increase

50,000: 5,000 - NE: 3,800 increase

100,000: 10,000 - NE: ~240 decrease

175,000: 17,500 - NE: ~12,300 decrease

250,000: 25,000 - NE: ~28,000 decrease

500,000: 50,000 - NE: ~90,000 decrease

Taxes gathered from these five "family's" under current taxes: 234,333
Taxes under 10% flat tax: 109,500
FLAT Tax rate necessary to collect the same amount of taxes as current system from these five families: 21%

Thus:
20,000: 4,200

50,000: 10,500

100,000: 21,000

175,000: 36,500

250,000: 52,5000

500,000: 105,000

AND since the 21% rate is based on a false assumption that there is an equal distribution of families within each of the brackets, it is likely that the actual flat tax rate neccessary to gather the same amount of taxes as the current system would be in the neighborhood of 25%.

Make no mistake about it, flat taxes are THE most regressive possible. Believe it or not, I too am a died in the wool republican and oppose excessive government. But the flat tax is simply wrong both from a practical and philosophical viewpoint. Practically, its implementation would be crippling to either lower and middle income families or to the public as whole b/c the State simply could not afford to pay for the services we currently expect from it. Philosophically, it places the burden of paying for the governmental system on the backs of those who have least benefitted from it.