Comments on: You Got Something to Say? http://www.taxgirl.com/you-got-something-to-say/ Paying taxes is painful... but reading about them shouldn't be. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 12:33:00 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Ed http://www.taxgirl.com/you-got-something-to-say/comment-page-1/#comment-4374 Ed Sat, 23 Aug 2008 17:51:50 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/you-got-something-to-say/#comment-4374 Currently, the middle class bears a hugely disproportionate share of the tax load. This isn't because of the way the tax brackets are set up, but because most of the income earned by the very rich is taxed very lightly (it's usually capital gains or dividends) or not at all (no Social Security tax over $102K per year, no estate taxes, inheritances are scot-free). Yes, I do talk about this on my blog, middleclassimpact.com. But I wish that more people would see that what is needed isn't phony tax "simplification" (i.e. getting rid of the small amount of progressiveness in the tax brackets), but elimination of the tax breaks that favor the forms of income typical for the super-rich such as dividends and capital gains. Then we can stop penalizing the middle class for making their money in the most tax-unfavorable way of all, namely working for it. Currently, the middle class bears a hugely disproportionate share of the tax load. This isn’t because of the way the tax brackets are set up, but because most of the income earned by the very rich is taxed very lightly (it’s usually capital gains or dividends) or not at all (no Social Security tax over $102K per year, no estate taxes, inheritances are scot-free).

Yes, I do talk about this on my blog, middleclassimpact.com. But I wish that more people would see that what is needed isn’t phony tax “simplification” (i.e. getting rid of the small amount of progressiveness in the tax brackets), but elimination of the tax breaks that favor the forms of income typical for the super-rich such as dividends and capital gains. Then we can stop penalizing the middle class for making their money in the most tax-unfavorable way of all, namely working for it.

]]> By: Lara http://www.taxgirl.com/you-got-something-to-say/comment-page-1/#comment-4375 Lara Thu, 21 Aug 2008 14:53:51 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/you-got-something-to-say/#comment-4375 So um, does that mean I can't pelt you with tomatoes while you're hiding behind the furniture, all while clutching my pearls and in between visits to the sperm bank? ;) Thanks for all your comments and support over at DD, Kelly. :) I love you for it! So um, does that mean I can’t pelt you with tomatoes while you’re hiding behind the furniture, all while clutching my pearls and in between visits to the sperm bank? ;)

Thanks for all your comments and support over at DD, Kelly. :) I love you for it!

]]> By: Christopher Ganiere http://www.taxgirl.com/you-got-something-to-say/comment-page-1/#comment-4376 Christopher Ganiere Wed, 20 Aug 2008 00:33:48 +0000 http://www.taxgirl.com/you-got-something-to-say/#comment-4376 I believe that the federal income tax is a net drain on the economy. Our Society would be better off if the we just dropped the whole 14K+ pages and replaced it with fewer federal money transfer programs (i.e. spending less). I believe that the federal income tax is a net drain on the economy. Our Society would be better off if the we just dropped the whole 14K+ pages and replaced it with fewer federal money transfer programs (i.e. spending less).

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