- Bastian Brandt
- Amsterdam (Nl)
- Netherlands
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A basic income tax: Asking everyone within a society to pay 10% BIT and dividing this amount through its population = Basic Income For One
(In the Netherlands for example, this would sum up to a basic income for everyone of $350 a month, in South Africa $90 a month for everyone, etc.)
The idea I am proposing could be implemented everywhere, regardless of the size of the society it is implemented in.
The advantage of such a tax would be:
- Equality
- Families with many children would get more support
- People that can't work would be safe
- The division of poor and rich would shrink and with it criminality
- Everyone would feel more as an equal part of society
If we would tax everyone in the world 10% Basic Income Tax and divide this amount through the world population, we would generate a basic income for every one on earth of $60 and that would be the end of extreme poverty!
Martin Owen
Something needs to be done to reduce the gap between rich and poor, but with the rich controlling everything why would they want to make that change?
Eric Henry
I like the idea of a national sales tax although I would need to research it more to know what its weaknesses are (no tax scheme is without weakness). Of course from a pragmatic point of view, even if such an idea gained enough momentum to upend the tax law and infrastructure apple cart there would immediately be people that came up with really reasonable and compelling exceptions. These exceptions and adjustments would grow over time as various people cried "unfair" at having to tax baby formula and asparagus. In a few years ... Bam! ... huge tax code and huge bureaucracy to support and enforce all the intricacies of the regulation, and we're right back to where we started.
Gail . 50+
Taxes to corporations are hidden sales taxes. Employer paid employee taxes are hidden taxes. Subsidies to corporations are hidden taxes. Built-in taxes for gas, telecommunications usage, sin taxes, etc are hidden taxes. Let's bring tax out into the open. The USA had a revolution from england because of 1.7% taxes. I see no reason why taxes should be as high as 10% unless you want government to be a mommy or big brother. I find that a threat.
some years ago, I spent an entire year counting up the taxes I paid - including the hidden taxes that I could compute. (I couldn't compute the hidden taxes built into the products I buy because each level of production passes its taxes on to the company above it (i.e. the engine maker passes its taxes to the car manufacturer). I was aghast.
Debra Smith 200+
Barry Palmer 50+
Debra Smith 200+
Couldn't give one to Gail either.
Gail . 50+
I favor changing the economic paradigm to a cashless one. It would take great cooperation and we would have to be a more educated people, but I believe it's where we're going. I am not speaking of barter here, because bartered goods are just another form of money.
But if we do maintain a money standard, we should tie the amount in circulation to the population - not to the amount of $$$ Goldman Sachs makes with its computers. And we should cap the top income to insure stability.
It's good to talk about these things because the Ponzi scheme that now passes as our economic model will be collapsing sooner rather than later. As you can see, it's already started, and growing unemployment (that is guaranteed) will bring even more suffering until there are not enough consumers to enslave themselves to the corporate masters.
I love Milton Friedman.
Barry Palmer 50+
Instead of an income tax, use a sales tax. Rich people buy lots more stuff than poor people.
The latest guestimate that I read was that a 40% sales tax would be needed to replace the current federal tax revenues. Instead of 40%, make it 50% and use the extra 10% to pay back a "basic income for one" to everyone in the country. This would have the effect of making the tax more progressive.
Politically, I don't think these ideas stand a chance. The politicians are not about to upset their golden apple cart.
Debra Smith 200+
Zdenek Smith 100+
Debra Smith 200+
James Zhang 30+
Debra Smith 200+
James Zhang 30+
But in my opinion, the best way for the rich to "give back" to the poor is giving the poor education. You can give a man a fish, but he'll end up wanting more. Gotta teach him how to fish, and you gave him fish for lifetime.
James Zhang 30+
Basically the flaw in this is that it provides disincentive for everyone to not work.
Also, isn't this effectively like Communism?
Debra Smith 200+
pat gilbert 50+