Who Pays No Taxes?
The Urban Institute's Tax Policy Center has a nice whiteboard video explaining who pays no federal income tax. The tone is liberal, but it is factually accurate. (I have not double-checked their facts, but it is consisent with my recollection of the facts.)
The video omits two important issues: one is the disincentive effects of our tax system, and the second is the ethical issue: should anyone be relieved of a responsibility to support the government?
Comments
People talk about this all the time the real issue should be showing how much the government at each individual level, and the aggregate spend on each person per year. The average contribution per person, including a good estimate of all taxation brackets. The percentage of the population that reaches break even status including how much it costs for a society to raise someone post university, and support their old age entitlements. Then show what tiny percent create business that make the jobs so a larger tiny percent are break even.
I think if all the numbers were demonstrated in one page it would add some context to people how far our fiscal budgets are irresponsible. This is not a US perspective, this is relative to all first world nations as I am Canadian.