Where is the outrage on these taxes?

Question

One commonly reads those who mistake the notion that not paying federal income taxes equates to not paying any taxes, and slam poor people.  But as Senator Tom Coburn, a very, very conservative Republican Senator has pointed out:

In 2008, according to Coburn, more than 18,000 people with incomes of $200,000 or more used “tax credits, deductions and other preferences to reduce their personal income tax liability to zero.”

So while those who slam poor people that may barely be able to meet their needs, it seems there are quite a few wealthy people who feel no need to pay ANY federal income taxes, yet they seem to escape without being questioned?  What gives?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

You sort of debunk your argument:  You defend low income who pay no income tax by saying they pay other taxes and then criticize high income people who pay no taxes.  You overlook the fact that many of "credits, deductions, and prefrerences" come from things like investing in their business, contributions to charity, purchasing energy efficient appliances, etc.  What gives is that using the current tax law is in no way immoral and that the top 1% pay 40% of the income tax and the bottom 50% pay zero. That's where the outrage is.

? · Answer

It's even worse.

Start with the amount of collected tax before President Bush's tax cuts and subtract the amount after the tax cuts. That yields the amount of tax no longer collected. The richest 2% of tax payers got 38% of it. 

Outrageous. Reprehensible.

eagle · Answer

Yes, our tax code is wrong. We need to have a flat tax where everyone pays there fair share. Just thing of all of the government workers it would put out of work.

? · Answer

Good point. But what you and Senator Coburn are missing is that this is just more reason to repeal the 16th Amendment.

Anonymous · Answer

Howard Hughes never paid a penny in tax.

Herb

Where is the outrage on these taxes?

5 Answers