April 15th of each year is traditionally tax day in the United States. Since the 15th fell on a Sunday this year and the 16th is a holiday in Washington, D.C., the tax day this year is April 17th. Regardless of the actual day, Americans from sea to shining sea are asked to account for their income during the prior calendar year and pay Uncle Sam their share.
Whether it is due to the fact we are in an election year or our obsession with the economic woes of the United States, there are countless articles, blog and other editorials concerning taxes and tax rates. Articles regarding how much the President paid versus his secretary, how much we all pay as a result of people cheating on their taxes, what effect the Buffett rule will have on all of us are littering the internet.
Taxes are necessary if we are going to live in operate in a civilized democracy. It is necessary for each of us to pay our fair share to provide for many of the services we take for granted. Tax dollars pay for schools, emergency services, military services, highways and street systems in addition to countless other programs and services. The question becomes what is a “fair share”.
In the United States we employ a progressive tax structure when it comes to individual income tax. A progressive tax is based on a sliding scale that increases as your income increases. While this may seem unfair to some, there are many offsets to personal income taxes available to individuals for various reasons. As a result it is possible for someone with higher income to pay a lower percentage than others based on their exceptions or deductions.
What do you know about the federal income tax system? What other taxes are you aware of? How would you determine the “fair share” each family should pay?
trekster ^_^ (nissa)- I know that the federal income tax system is really complicated, but that we sometimes get $$$$ back. Also, there are taxes on pretty much everything: sales tax, gas, etc. It's really hard to determine the 'fair share' since everyone is in a different situation, there's lots of people in the U.S., and it's hard to generalize taxes and be fair as well. I would have no idea how set tax rates and all, but I would try and make it more fair than it is now, with the middle class paying high taxes, the rich not paying much, and the poor paying a small amount.
ReplyDeleteI dint really know that much about taxes. There is tax on almost everything. I think the fair share om taxes is that if you have more money you should pay more in taxes. A lot of people struggle with their taxes because a lot of people are jobless. Taxes can be really hard to pay off for some people and if those people's taxes aren't as much than they woint struggle so much. Stephanie
ReplyDeleteRyan-Who dosent like tax day. I don't know much about the federal tax income. I do know that you pay 6% on anything that you would from a food for a whole month to a candy bar they all have tax. For a fair share there is no really "fair share" To be truly fair it would be half and half but who would want that. So what they have is good but i think they should lower it to 5%.over all i think tax is important but i don't like them evan thought that i'm young i still don't like them like everyone else.
ReplyDeleteI don't know about it much but all I know is that it would be fair if the high class paid the most then the middle a little less then the poor a very small amount. And I know about sales tax-
ReplyDelete-Aaron
Well to tell you the truth i dont really know anything about federal tax incomes. the only thing i really know is that whenever tax days come up my parents are always in the office paying the federal government for things that i dont really know about. there is tax on basically everything unless you are buying lemonade from little girls in your neighborhood there might not be tax. and when i say might i mean that there are some little girls who are devils and probably will have you pay tax. i think that everyone should have the same amount of tax to pay but it shoudnt be high enough to make people loose homes or jobs because of it::;;: ))))))))))(((((((())))))))))) ^_^ vince
ReplyDeleteJacqueline- In all honestly I am not very smart when it comes to taxes. i still have a lot to learn when it comes to that sort of stuff. I know about taxes as in how much you have yo pay for every purchase you make and I know about how you have to pay taxes on your home. I don't think it's fair that some people are taxed so much. i think it should be off of how many people you are supporting in a family and the financial state that the family is in.
ReplyDeleteSena- I do know that 47% of the population here do not have to pay federal taxes and that people who make more money have to pay it for them. I, personally, think that is a good idea. I also know that it makes some people mad because the more money you make the more is taken away for tax purposes. In the united States there is a LOT of taxes. Some include income tax, sales tax, property tax, estate tax, and gift tax. I think the way it is now is good and bad. I think I would only change a couple of things. I truly think it is unfair for certain people to have to pay more because they make more money. It is their earnings and then they have to give more fir taxes. I also think that people who make more money will have an easier time and have less stress paying taxes then someone who can barely pay for food. I think to make it less complicated everyone should pay an equal amount. Changing it could be bad for us too...
ReplyDeleteSena- When I said same amount I meant same percent of income for each person. Its called flat tax!
ReplyDeleteJacob-I dont really know anyhting about the taxes except that if your income getsbigger than your taxes get bigger. I know that you have to pay taxes for electricity and hot water. I think that each family should pay the same percent of their income so everyone was paying the same depending on their income. The really wealthy people would have to pay more money, but they would be paying the same amount of their inome as less wealthy people
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ReplyDeleteI dont know the federal tax income but my mom said its very complicated and it sounds very complicated. Im aware of gas, sales tax, electricity, and etc. I think that each family should pay the same tax as everyone else. I dont like how people have to pay more money for taxes.
robert- i know absolutely nothing about the federal tax income other then the government makes you pay more for something then its worth XD. it should be determined by the yearly income of a family or individual which would involve a dump load of number crunching but it would get all of the people who cant find to keep their mouths shut about the whole deal to actually close their mouths
ReplyDeleteBelle I don't know anything about. Income tax. I know that its on almost everthig but that's it. I think they have to be equal but not to high people have plenty to worry about if they are low on money high taxes shouldn't be one of themBUT with out taxes there wouldn't be the money to repair roads build jobs and schools because the government pays for that stuff
ReplyDeleteEmma- I dont know anything about the fedral tax incomes. All I know is that there is tax on pretty much everything. I think that nobody should get higher or lower tax rates. I think that everyone should get the same amount of taxes as everyone else and that the tax price is reasonable and affordable for everyone. I think that taxes are very reasonable because of all of the things the government builds with them, but sometimes the rates can be way to high and its not fare.
ReplyDeleteDan- I don't know much about the federal income tax system, but I do know that the tax money goes to things that are important for this country. I am aware of taxes on goods and services and taxes on property. I would determine the fair share that families have to pay by the progressive tax we use. I think if you make more money you should pay more taxes. It just doesn't make sense for a billionaire to pay as much on taxes as a homeless person. I think everybody should pay 8-10% of their salary to taxes. That way it is fair for everybody.
ReplyDeleteKatie H.- I know that the federal income tax system helps to pay for our schools, roads , emergency services, etc. I think that sometimes the amount that each person has to pay based on their personal income is sometimes unfair. the way i see it is the rich are getting even richer since they have to pay less and the poor get pooer because they hav to pay more. I think it would be more fair if we had the rich pay more because they have more money and the poor pay less since they dont have as much.
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ReplyDeleteI know that festal income tax is the money that my parents pay every April to pay for roads parks and stuff like that. The two other taxes I know are sales tax and property tax. In my opinion to make taxes fair I think the rich people should pay a percent of their income and poor people should do the same.
Matea- I don't know much about taxes. I don't really pay any attention to that kind of things. I don't really know of any other taxes. I just know that my parents pay taxes at April every year.I think what we should do to make paying taxes equal is, everyone should pay the same amount of money. I would be nice if the richer people would pay more taxes, but that is NOT fair to them. So if everyone paid the same amount of money then we would be all right.
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ReplyDeleteI KNOW THAT PEOPLE ARE PAYING WAY TOO MUCH MONEY ON TAXES BECAUSE OF BARAK OBAMA... HE IS TRYING TO TAKE LOTS OF MONEY FROM THE RICH AND STILL ALOT FROM THE NEED. DO HOMELESS PEOPLE PAY TAXES??? I THINK THAT ALL PEOPLE SHOULD PAY THE SAME LOW AMOUNT. AMERICA ALREADY HAS A LOT OF TAX MONEY AND PLUS THEY GET LOTS OF MONEY FROM FINING PEOPLE AND OTHER TYPES OF TAX INCLUDING SALES TAX, LIQOUR TAX, VEHICLE USE TAX, UTILITY TAX, TAXICAB TAX, CIGAR AND CIGARETTE TAX, MORTGAGE TAX, PROPERTY TAX, TICKET TAX, BANK TAX, RENT TAX, SIN TAX, AND INCOME TAX... TAXING IS NECESSARY BUT NOBODY LIKES TAXES.
Natalia-i dont really know anything about taxes. i know you have to pay a certain amount of money every year in april. i havent really heard of any other taxes besides income tax and just the tax you have to pay whenever you buy somthing. i think the "fair share" is everyone paying the same amount of money in april. i think taxes shouldnt be a ton of money they should be a low amount of money evryone pays for in april. i know the money is needed but i dont think they need to be alot of money. for some people they dont have enough money to pay all of there taxes so i think they shouldnt be so much so everyone can afford it and pay all of their taxes with no problems.
ReplyDeleteBraid to braid Azi-----I don't know alot about taxs. All I know I is that it's a goverment and money thingy.I think people should pay thousands of dollars to goverment becouse that aint fair. Maby people could pay hundreds not thousands.It would be more.....resonable.
ReplyDeleteAmaia- Honestly I don't know much about taxes. I do know that EVERYONE that is a USA citizen is required by law to pay them. I know that it is when the government takes about 33% of your annual income. Other taxes I know about are sales tax, capital gains tax, and property tax. I know that the more you make, the more federal income tax amounts you pay up to two-hundred thousand dollars. Than after a certain point you actually start to pay less. They say that they do that because that 1% of the population that holds over 90% of the money in the USA are providing jobs for the other 99% so they're cutting them a break. As far as a lot of people are concerned, that's just another way of keeping all the money in one place. That's where they cross the line of being unfair about taxes. No wonder the low and middle class complain about taxes, they pay more taxes than the top 1% richest people in the world. Doesn't that seem messed up?
ReplyDeleteCatie-I don't know anything about taxes. All i know is that everybody is required to pay them and rich people have to pay higher taxes than middle class people. I'm aware that if you don't pay your taxes, they can shut down your water, electricity, phone, etc. I think that the way they determine "fair share" is not fair because they don't charge rich people enough money but they charge midlle and lower class people a ton of money for them to pay off.
ReplyDeleteCaleigh- I don't know much about it.I know about public school taxes. Where some of the taxes we pay go to the public schools to help support them. I think if you are wealthy you should pay a little more and if you are poor pay less than regular.
ReplyDelete;) Alice- To be honest I don't really know much about taxes, it's just the time of year when my parents are like 'WHERE'S THAT ONE RECEIPT!?!?'or 'Did I actually buy that?' And that parents are generally kind of in a panic to get what ever it is they're trying to figure out sorted through. Um, then they stick whatever it is in to an envelope or they e-mail it to the bank or something...Don't really know... Aren't water bills and electric bills kind of like taxes? And there are mortgages and property taxes(aren't those last two things kind of the same?) It's kind of hard to say how to give out someones 'fair share' I mean shouldn't everyone be asked to pay the same flat amount that's not to exuberant but not to small? And if property taxes are based on the size of your house (I don't really think that's how it works...) then wouldn't the rich people with huge mansions have to pay more than those who have smaller homes? Again I really have no know how on this sort of thing!
ReplyDeleteDILLON- I KNOW THAT A LOT OF PEOPLE PAY WAY TO MUCH FOR TAXES. I DO NOT UNDERSTAND WHY TAXES ARE HIGHER SOME PLACES THAT A PERSON LIVES THAN OTHERS. I KNOW THAT WE PAY TAXES FOR HOUSES, LAND, AND JUST BECAUSE. I THINK IF YOU OWN A LOT OF LAND THAT YOU SHOULD PAY MORE TAXES THAN PEOPLE THAT HAVE LESS LAND.
ReplyDeleteTaylor- I don't really know about the system and all of that but I know that taxes can ruin some people's lives. There's taxes on EVERYTHING and some people might not be able to afford it and some people who can might just stress over it. I don't really understand everything about taxes but I know I will eventually. I remember hearing from SOMEWHERE (probably not a...reliable source) that the government is taxing poor people more than people who can afford it. Even if this is true, which it could be, that doesn't make any sense at all! If the government wants more money, go to the rich millionaires! Sorry millionaires but I think you can overcome taxes a little more than the poor people can.
ReplyDeletePeter-I know that the more money you earn the higher percentage federal income tax you pay.I also know if the government continues to spent money like drunk sailor than taxes will just keep increasing.RON PAUL FOR PRESIDENT. I know about sales tax which is on groceries and stuff like that. I also know about property tax which is based on the value of real estate. I think that each family should pay 10% of their total income as taxes and the government should adjust there spending based on there income.
ReplyDeleteJohn-the federal tax system is the way the government collects money to fund government, protect our country and promote growth.These include taxes on income,payroll,property,sales,imports,estates and gifts,as well as various fees.I think every person in the world should be paid based on how hard they work and how much money they make a differance in the job.
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