A proportional tax system is one where income tax is equal to the income of all income levels. A proportional tax system is also known as a flat tax. It does not include income tax brackets like the U.S. federal tax. The Internal Revenue Service claims that the United States has a proportional system. It combines a progressive — higher income tax as income rises — with income tax with the regressive Social Security tax and property taxes — lower income tax rate.
Historical Proportional Taxes
According to the IRS, proportional taxes have existed for a while. The first Christian church established a proportional tax. It was known as a tithe. For religious purposes, ten percent of income had to be given to the church.
Proportional Taxes Today
Sales tax is the most prominent example of proportional taxes. Although sales tax is subject to variation from one region to another, all shoppers pay the same sales tax. bloomberg. A 10% sales tax would mean that every $500 computer buyer would have to pay $50 in sales taxes, regardless of their income.
Arguments for proportional taxes
Both sides have their opinions on the merits and disadvantages of proportional taxation. Flat taxes or proportional taxes are often argued to be the fairest. A flat tax is another argument. It encourages people to work harder, even at higher income levels. Because a person would not lose more or less to taxes, the more money he earns, the more he will be able to pay in taxes.
Arguments against proportional taxes
Proportional taxes can be compared to regressive taxes, which is one reason why they are not recommended. It is true that everyone pays the same sales tax on a purchase. However, a $50 sales taxes bill would represent a greater percentage of income for someone earning $30,000 per year than someone who earns $100,000 per year. Since 1984, the Treasury Department has said that it opposed a flat income tax. This is because it would shift a large portion of the tax burden from high-income earners towards low-income earners.
Regressive tax characteristics
Some people don’t like the idea of having to pay taxes. Others believe, as Franklin D. Roosevelt did, that taxes are the dues we have to pay in order for society’s privileges. It doesn’t matter what your beliefs are, it is important to be able to distinguish between the three types of taxes: progressive, regressive, and proportional. This will allow you to make informed decisions about which taxation you think is fair.
Explaining Regressive Tax
Regressive taxes are the same for everyone. People with lower incomes pay more under this tax. This is an example from the Internal Revenue Service: A person earning $10,000 per year would pay 20 percent to the tax amount of $2,000 to pay $2,000. For the $2,000., a $50,000 earner pays 4 percent and a $100,000 earner pays 2 percent.
Regressive tax examples
The sales tax is an example of regressive taxes. Spending money to purchase essential or non-essential items, which have a 7 percent sales tax, is more costly for those who earn less than the higher-income. Fees are another example. They represent a regressive tax because people with lower incomes pay more for them. Toll roads, parking, licenses, admissions to museums and parks, as well as parking are all examples. An excise tax is another example of regressive taxes. It is a tax on certain commodities like alcohol, cigarettes and firearms, gasoline, air travel, and telephone services. Excise taxes are often hidden taxes as they are included in the price of the commodity, without the consumers realizing.
Comparison of Progressive and Proportional Taxes
The regressive tax can be compared to the proportional and progressive forms of the U.S tax system. A progressive tax means that the higher your income, the higher your tax rate, and the greater percentage you pay, the more you will have to pay. If you make $10,000 per year, your progressive tax rate would be 10%, which would mean you would pay $1,000. A progressive tax rate of 20 percent could apply to $50,000 in annual income. This would mean that you would be subject to $10,000 tax, while a $100,000 salary would result in a tax rate of $30,000. A progressive tax must have an upper limit. Otherwise, a person can be subject to a 100 percent tax.
A proportional tax tax everyone at the same tax rate. If the tax rate for $10,000 is 20%, then a person earning $10,000 will pay $2,000, $50,000 will cost $10,000, and $100,000 will cost $20,000.
Income Tax
As of 2011, the federal income tax Americans pay is a mixture of all three types. Because it is progressive, people with higher incomes pay a higher percentage. Payroll tax, which includes Social Security, Medicare, and other benefits, is proportional. It is currently taxed at 12 percent unless you have a net income of more than $106,800. After that, the income is not subject to tax. The payroll tax is therefore regressive, as people who have higher incomes pay less for it.
Flat Tax Vs. National Sales Tax
Different tax and rate rates are imposed by different government agencies. The government attempts to share the burden equally between individuals, businesses, and groups with different income levels by using varied rates. Modern programs such as Social Security and Welfare rely on taxes to fund their funding. Taxes can also be used to support military commitments or adjust consumption patterns. The priorities of the government determine the tax system. The government has to decide how the tax burden will be distributed, who will pay what, and how the money will be collected. American citizens and government continue to debate whether a flat tax is better than a national sales tax.
Definitions
A flat tax is a tax system that taxes income at one fixed rate, regardless of income level. All taxpayers pay the same tax rate for their income. If the tax rate was six percent, someone earning $20,000 would pay six percent tax; $500,000 earner would also have to pay six percent tax.
A taxon consumption is the national sales tax. The tax is charged to consumers at the point where goods or services are sold. The tax is usually calculated by adding a percentage rate to the sale price. The national sales tax functions like state sales taxes. It would add an additional cost to the retail price of the products.
Benefits of a National Sales Tax
If implemented, the national sales tax would replace income tax. The tax would be collected by retail businesses when customers pay for goods or services.
If the national sales tax was administered in a similar manner to the current sales tax then tax revenue could not be collected by the IRS. Instead, tax revenues could be managed by the Treasury Department.
wales247. All residents of the United States, including illegal aliens, would be affected by this tax. Everybody who lives in the country will share the responsibility for paying taxes. All individuals use products and services.
National Sales Tax: The disadvantages
To ensure that businesses continue to pay taxes, a national sales tax will require additional administration.
A high national sales tax, like 35 percent, could lead to increased crime and black market activity among otherwise law-abiding citizens. High tax rates may encourage people to find ways to avoid paying the tax. This could lead to a rise of crimes often associated with black market activities.
A national sales tax could also be detrimental to low-income families. Low-income families often spend the majority of their income on food. A national sales tax would apply an additional percent of weekly earnings to sales taxes. The less money saved, the more money is spent on taxes.
Benefits of the flat tax
A flat tax would eliminate double taxes on investments. Capital gains and dividends would be treated as income. Currently, investors pay taxes only on the initial investment (income), and again on any dividends earned. A lower tax rate would enable more people to save some of their income. Long-term, a flat tax would increase the country’s economic performance.
Flat taxes would bring fairness to the tax system. Flat taxes would mean that all individuals are subject to the same tax rate. This means that both a millionaire or a person with a low income are subject to the same percent tax. The millionaire pays more tax because his income is greater.
Flat tax systems would make it easier to manage and transparently pay everyone the same rate. Our current system taxes people at different rates. The IRS must keep track of multiple incomes, rates, and payments. If everyone paid the same tax rate, there would be fewer departments and employees involved in the tracking of tax payments. Flat taxes would also close loopholes, exemptions, and credits that are frequently abused.
Flat taxes reduce the administrative burden and volume of work required to collect taxes. Compliance is also increased by the simplicity of a flat tax.
Flat Tax: The disadvantages
Low-income families and individuals are most affected by the flat tax. The basic necessities are the same regardless of income. Even though the poor have lower-incomes, the flat tax reduces the amount of money available to the low-income.
Flat taxes could eliminate deductions businesses receive currently for retirement plan contributions. Employees will lose some of their retirement income if there is no incentive for companies to contribute.
Flat tax systems would eliminate standard deductions. The flat tax system would eliminate the ability for homeowners to deduct interest payments. Charitable donations deductions would also cease. Companies would not be allowed to deduct debt interest payments.
