Stock_Rush2555 t1_is4qgaz wrote on October 13, 2022 at 8:24 AM

Reply to comment by zorggalacticus in CVS cuts cost of menstrual products in 12 states with "tampon tax" by AmethystOrator

The point you're making about "don't tax the rich" completely negates the point youre making about "tax the rich with sales tax!"

I don't think you understand the point of taxes. Rich people benefit from taxes too, and all the services they provide. Income tax is a smart solution, because it proportionally charges everyone for a functioning government. Wealthy people are charged more because they hoard a larger share of the global wealth, and that charge should affect them the same as it does for poor people.

It's really just a case of altruism vs selfishness. And while the majority of people are for helping others, and expanding government services, rich people are often not because money corrupts, and privilege makes them ignorant to what people go through. The rich are a minority - a dominating minority that exploit the rest for profit. It's fair that the "rest" of us want them taxed more - they're profiting off our backs.

What you're saying is "tax the rich more via sales tax" but also "don't tax the rich more, poor rich people"

XavvenFayne t1_is5j47t wrote on October 13, 2022 at 1:36 PM

I agree with the premise of what you're saying here overall, on the contradiction you pointed out, and that sales tax is a regressive tax, and about the rich being a dominating minority etc.

One thing I'll add is that extremely wealthy individuals tend to have modest or even low income from wages, so relying on progressive income tax brackets alone still results in a tax system that is either flat, or not progressive enough. Progressive income tax is a smart choice but it doesn't go far enough IMO. Wealthy families gain an enormous amount of money from unrealized capital gains, dividends, and interest, all of which enjoy huge tax breaks.

zorggalacticus t1_is4v400 wrote on October 13, 2022 at 9:34 AM

No, what I'm saying is it's useless to add more income tax because they'll just find ways to avoid it. Sales tax works better because they can't avoid it. Abolishing income tax will help the average consumer, and we won't notice much difference in the actual amount of taxes we pay because it will equal out to about the same or less than we pay now with a 10 cents on a dollar federal sales tax instead of income tax. And the whole "don't tax the rich" was directed at the proposed "wealth tax". Can't charge people taxes twice on the same money just because they have more. It also sets a precedent towards other things being taxed that historically weren't taxed. Don't think if we allow them to tax the bank accounts of the rich just because it's there that they won't also begin to go after our own savings, retirement accounts, pensions, etc. Adding a "wealth tax" sets a dangerous precedent for the rest of us as well. It's like releasing a hungry lion on somebody and naively thinking it won't turn and destroy you when it's finished with them. We can't trust the government. That's been proven time and again. Passing a "wealth tax" will backfire massively on the rest of us because it opens up a whole can of worms that we don't want. Federal sales tax accomplishes the same thing without opening that can of worms. The average consumer won't notice much difference at all, but the rich will. And you can still keep state income tax, just abolish the federal.