Most of these are retirees living on social security, laid-off people living frugally on savings or unemployment benefits, students living on part-time jobs, and minimum wage earners who don't owe enough taxes to exceed the same standard deduction that we are all entitled to. The number has risen because the economy is so poor. There are just more people making low wages or living on low fixed incomes.
so that $1.38 bottle of coke just shot up to $15.26. because we already have those sales taxes, and still need state and federal income tax. if we only gonna have sales tax, the rate has to go SKY high to make up for the money that ain't coming in from income tax anymore.
and where does the rest of the money come from? do you really think we can still: operate schools run entire universities have a police force have school buses have street lights operate a complete military develop new weapons maintain local governments maintain state governments maintain federal governments etc. etc. etc. by upping sales tax a mealy penny and a half on the dollar? you do realize that will be a sh!tload less money coming in that what we currently have? and we are currently operating at a deficit (and have been since the 80's, minus a couple years in the 90's).
How much tax is reasonable? Part of the change must involve the systematic elimination of a century of legislated error. But don't worry, it won't be seriously discussed among lawmakers. Institutions die hard. tgsam
i'm not debating how much tax is reasonable. i'm debating whether or not your idea will work 1st you want to eliminate Federal Income tax (don't know what the annual $ amount this would be) that dollar amount has to come from SOMEWHERE. you said a flat 10% sales tax would work. well 4% of my sales tax goes to Louisiana (unless you're taking that from them) and 4.5% goes to Terrebonne parish (unless you're taking that away as well. so you're going to honestly think that the U.S. government can survive on 1.5%? so instead of getting 20% of every dollar I make, they get 1.5% of every dollar I spend? if i spent every dollar I made, that would be a 92.5% pay cut the US just took. name one person/company/state/country/religious cult that can operate on a 92.5% pay cut.
