Then you disproportionately tax the poor since more of their earnings are going to consumption taxes such as sales tax and fuel tax. You also aren't solving the problem that money begets more opportunities to make even more money and that over time a huge income disparity appears and class migration stagnates. Which is where the United States finds itself currently.
Many people point to the 70% tax rate as the ideal because that's what we had in the "good old days" in the 1950s. That's not a good reason to choose that figure either. There were other factors contributing to the 1950s being the "good old days."
That's why finding an "ideal" tax rate is a challenging problem.
One choice quote: "The only way to cover the cost of burgeoning debt without growth-crushing taxes is to encourage faster economic growth."
Am I the only one who feels uneasy about our society's obsession with ever-increasing growth? Can that model possibly be sustainable on a finite globe?
You shouldn't be. They definitely push the big business corporatist agendas. Raising the marginal tax rate is definitely not on the list of policy that they would want.
The WSJ editorial board is hopelessly biased to the right. They’re not the last people you should ask on this subject, but they’re near the bottom of the list.
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[ 6.4 ms ] story [ 28.3 ms ] threadMany people point to the 70% tax rate as the ideal because that's what we had in the "good old days" in the 1950s. That's not a good reason to choose that figure either. There were other factors contributing to the 1950s being the "good old days."
That's why finding an "ideal" tax rate is a challenging problem.
However this is the marginal tax rate which means you don't pay that except for earnings over a certain dollar amount.
Also with all the loopholes in our tax law the effective tax rate was closer to 40% anyways.
Am I surprised that the Wallstreet Journal would have a complaint-piece about potential higher taxes though?
Nope.
One choice quote: "The only way to cover the cost of burgeoning debt without growth-crushing taxes is to encourage faster economic growth."
Am I the only one who feels uneasy about our society's obsession with ever-increasing growth? Can that model possibly be sustainable on a finite globe?