Income Tax AND Sales Tax

[DOC]

I love how I never use those services but I have to pay for them anyway.

[brutal]

So people who don't own their home aren't entitled to those things?


I just don't like the connection to the real estate. If I own two homes, am I entitled to twice as many benefits? If I rent, is my landlord entitled to those things but I am not? I get that it has to be tied to something, and that by connecting it to housing they guarantee getting paid. Just frustrating I guess.

If you buy an electric car (and therefore don't buy gas) do you have to pay tax for using the roads? I know people using veggie oil are supposed to keep track of how much they use and pay the gov for it, but haven't heard of the same issue for electric or hybrid cars.

Whomever resides at the property is entitled to those services. I guess it's the property that carries the entitlement, doesn't mean sh*t who paid the taxes on it. I'm not disagreeing with you in principal, just stating another possible point of view.

I think my premise indicated that we all help support the entitlements of others through our socialist-like Democratic government. If it means anything, you are "entitled" to take an income tax deduction for the property tax you paid to the state since you've already paid some form of fed and/or state income tax on that money.

Colorado hides part of their road use tax in the "ownership tax" we get to pay EVERY YEAR (also deductible on fed income tax) and is also now collecting road and bridge fees (and higher reg fees) thanks to that POS former Gov Bill Owens. It's all not just collected through fuel taxes. I pay taxes on my electric bill too, so if I was some idiot with an electric car (save your personal fuel costs if you like but don't claim it's saving the planet or using less carbon), I would still pay taxes for charging the damn thing.

I'm all for a flat sales tax, although I would likely take it in the shorts because I'm a spender and not a saver.

[DOC]

If there was a flat sales tax people would see what they are charged and demand blood. If you got to keep all of your money and only paid taxes when you spent it there would be a 60% sales tax added onto every dollar you spent.
Maybe more.
How much spending do you think would be going on if that was the spanking you knew you'd get?

[brutal]

Where are you getting this 60% tax rate number from?

[DOC]

If you take all the taxes that you pay on a dollar that you earned. 25% income tax, ~8% sales tax with all the hidden taxes. It hovers at about 60%. I did the math a few years back but I don't remember what it was right now.

[brutal]

Not sure I understand the math. Flat sales tax (FairTax) means no other income taxes and calls for, generally speaking, a 23% flat rate sales tax across the board.

[DOC]

They can't live on that. Or I mean they don't want to.

[hammer03]

So are people with $600k homes entitled to twice as much emergency care as someone in a 300k house?


Still just bitter. No need to answer that...

[brutal]

So are people with $600k homes entitled to twice as much emergency care as someone in a 300k house?


Still just bitter. No need to answer that...

No, but I betcha anyone in a $300K+ home gets faster response than someone in a $40k home. Just saying...

[Aloha_Shooter]

I think MOST states have both income and sales taxes but the intent originally was to strike a balance. The problem I have is that both tax rates have risen over the years. When I first moved to Colorado over 20 years ago, sales tax was about 5%, now it's 7.1% in Colorado Springs and I can't see a lot of improvement for the additional 1.1% (the 1% for TOPS does seem to have had a positive effect on our park spaces).

In contrast, I paid 7% sales tax in Florida and no income tax at all. In Hawaii, income tax was punitive but sales tax was under 5%. I think income taxes were moderate and sales tax was about 5% in Virginia. Then there's Kalipornia with punitive income taxes AND sales tax around 10%.

I used to be in favor of consumption taxes as a way to encourage savings instead of our current spendthrift economy but it's far too easy for Congress to increase the sales tax incrementally until we're at European levels. If we start at 17%, someone will surely propose raising it to 18% (it's just 1% more, do it for the children!) -- and John and Jane Q. Public will buy the argument that it's such an incremental increase that they won't even notice.

At the moment, I prefer the option of a Flat Tax but I want to see a 67% supermajority requirement to raise rates -- 75% would be even better but is probably unachievable.