Why the rich should pay more in taxes

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by SBXVII

Lets put it this way....

the poor can't pay taxes and most likely don't since they don't make enough money if any at all. The Rich hide behind their lawyers and loop holes and write offs. If you haven't figured it out yet you will the middle class is paying the dime, especially since there is so many of the middle class.

Under a flat tax, say a 10% tax on all earnings, everyone pays their equal share of the money they make. So yes if your making 1 mill a yr and I'm making 40,000 our 10% to the government would be different. You would pay more based off of 10% of your larger sum of money you are earning. The flat tax would be equal and fair for all. Everyone pays their 10%. No matter what they make.

Let me ask you this do you think its fair that the middle class should carry the burdon of the majority of the bill? or should everyone pay their part?

According to this study, the top 1% of income earners pay 40% of the taxes collected and more than all taxes collected from the bottom 95%:

The Tax Foundation - Tax Burden of Top 1% Now Exceeds That of Bottom 95%

"Some in Washington say the tax system is still not progressive enough. However, the recent IRS data bolsters the findings of an OECD [Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development] study released last year showing that the U.S.—not France or Sweden—has the most progressive income tax system among OECD nations. We rely more heavily on the top 10 percent of taxpayers than does any nation and our poor people have the lowest tax burden of those in any nation."

Whether you agree with the system or not, it is pretty clear that, in the US, the rich pay taxes. BTW - Leona Helmsely went to jail and paid over 7 million in fines and restitution for tax evasion.