Are you for or against....

by RubyTuesday 39 Replies latest social current

• 

  wasasister

  My beef is: I resent the fact that I am punished for being upper-middle income, single and no kids. Where's my tax relief? I'm working my ass off and just because I'm not procreating, I don't get my $400 per kid?

  Why reward people with big families?
• 

  ThiChi

  1. Reagan increased Fed revenues four fold with a tax cut (Too bad the liberal Congress could not spend it fast enough).

  Only The Rich Pay Taxes

  Top 50% of Wage Earners Pay 96.09% of Income Taxes

  Income Tax: Who Pays? IRS Figures for 2000 Table 1. - Individual Income Tax Returns with Positive Adjusted Gross Income (AGI): Number of Returns, Shares of AGI andTotal Income Tax, AGI Floor on Percentiles in Current and Constant Dollars, and Average Tax Rates, by Selected Descending Cumulative Percentiles of Returns Based on Income Size Using the Definition of AGI for Each Year, Tax Years 1986-2000 [All figures are estimates based on samples] Descending cumulative percentiles Year: Total..................Top 1%............Top 5%.........Top 10%.......Top 25%..........Top 50% Number of returns: [1] 1986: 102,087,623......1,020,876......5,104,381......10,208,762......25,521,906......51,043,811 1987: 106,154,761......1,061,548......5,307,738......10,615,476......26,538,690......53,077,380 1988: 108,872,859......1,088,729......5,443,643......10,887,286......27,218,214......54,436,429 1989: 111,312,721......1,113,127......5,565,636......11,131,272......27,828,181......55,656,361 1990: 112,812,262......1,128,123......5,640,613......11,281,226......28,203,066......56,406,132 1991: 113,804,104......1,138,041......5,690,205......11,380,410......28,451,026......56,902,052 1992: 112,652,759......1,126,528......5,632,638......11,265,276......28,163,190......56,326,380 1993: 113,681,387......1,136,814......5,684,069......11,368,139......28,420,347......56,840,694 1994: 114,989,920......1,149,899......5,749,496......11,498,992......28,747,480......57,494,960 1995: 117,274,186......1,172,742......5,863,709......11,727,419......29,318,546......58,637,093 1996: 119,441,767......1,194,418......5,972,088......11,944,177......29,860,442......59,720,884 1997: 121,503,284......1,215,033......6,075,164......12,150,328......30,375,821......60,751,642 1998: 123,775,831......1,237,758......6,188,792......12,377,583......30,943,958......61,887,915 1999: 126,008,974......1,260,090......6,300,449......12,600,897......31,502,244......63,004,487 2000: 128,227,143......1,282,271......6,411,357......12,822,714......32,056,786......64,113,572 Adjusted gross income floor on percentiles (current dollars): 1986: N/A......118,818......62,377......48,656......32,242......17,302 1987: N/A......139,289......68,414......52,921......33,983......17,768 1988: N/A......157,136......72,735......55,437......35,398......18,367 1989: N/A......163,869......76,933......58,263......36,839......18,993 1990: N/A......167,421......79,064......60,287......38,080......19,767 1991: N/A......170,139......81,720......61,944......38,929......20,097 1992: N/A......181,904......85,103......64,457......40,378......20,803 1993: N/A......185,715......87,386......66,077......41,210......21,179 1994: N/A......195,726......91,226......68,753......42,742......21,802 1995: N/A......209,406......96,221......72,094......44,207......22,344 1996: N/A......227,546......101,141......74,986......45,757......23,174 1997: N/A......250,736......108,048......79,212......48,173......24,393 1998: N/A......269,496......114,729......83,220......50,607......25,491 1999: N/A......293,415......120,846......87,682......52,965......26,415 2000: N/A......313,469......128,336......92,144......55,225......27,682 Adjusted gross income floor on percentiles (constant dollars): [2] 1986: N/A......108,411......56,913......44,394......29,418......15,786 1987: N/A......122,614......60,224......46,585......29,915......15,641 1988: N/A......132,828......61,484......46,861......29,922......15,526 1989: N/A......132,152......62,043......46,986......29,709......15,317 1990: N/A......128,096......60,493......46,126......29,135......15,124 1991: N/A......124,919......60,000......45,480......28,582......14,756 1992: N/A......129,654......60,658......45,942......28,780......14,828 1993: N/A......128,522......60,475......45,728......28,519......14,657 1994: N/A......132,069......61,556......46,392......28,841......14,711 1995: N/A......137,406......63,137......47,306......29,007......14,661 1996: N/A......145,026......64,462......47,792......29,163......14,769 1997: N/A......156,222......67,320......49,353......30,014......15,198 1998: N/A......164,427......69,999......50,775......30,877......15,553 1999: N/A......176,119......72,537......52,630......31,792......15,855 2000: N/A......182,038......74,527......53,510......32,070......16,075 Adjusted gross income (millions of dollars): 1986: 2,524,124......285,197......608,467......886,510......1,490,173......2,103,569 1987: 2,813,728......346,635......722,221......1,038,221......1,709,389......2,373,869 1988: 3,124,156......473,527......890,702......1,232,536......1,950,860......2,657,865 1989: 3,298,858......468,079......918,421......1,286,539......2,054,478......2,805,235 1990: 3,451,237......483,252......953,337......1,338,032......2,144,177......2,932,537 1991: 3,516,142......456,603......943,350......1,343,202......2,174,765......2,984,003 1992: 3,680,552......523,586......1,031,093......1,443,784......2,299,401......3,131,400 1993: 3,775,578......520,586......1,048,252......1,474,463......2,357,953......3,212,299 1994: 3,961,146......546,700......1,103,084......1,552,205......2,481,074......3,371,352 1995: 4,244,607......619,610......1,222,723......1,704,513......2,689,820......3,627,542 1996: 4,590,527......736,545......1,393,805......1,909,149......2,952,637......3,944,383 1997: 5,023,457......872,826......1,597,107......2,151,401......3,267,600......4,327,992 1998: 5,469,211......1,010,245......1,796,647......2,393,716......3,589,600......4,721,430 1999: 5,909,329......1,152,820......2,011,763......2,652,835......3,927,308......5,126,164 2000: 6,423,977......1,336,773......2,267,403......2,955,386......4,313,786......5,589,755 Descending cumulative percentiles Year: Total............Top 1%.....Top 5%.......Top 10%....Top 25%....Top 50% Total income tax (millions of dollars): [3] 1986: 366,979......94,491......156,240......200,703......278,976......343,289 1987: 369,046......91,559......159,642......205,230......283,857......346,655 1988: 412,761......113,841......188,303......236,411......321,297......389,145 1989: 432,838......109,259......190,188......241,458......334,258......407,599 1990: 447,061......112,338......195,088......247,514......344,340......421,075 1991: 448,349......111,267......194,480......250,282......346,511......423,759 1992: 476,163......131,156......218,479......276,213......373,700......452,070 1993: 502,720......145,836......238,083......297,808......398,516......478,563 1994: 534,754......154,337......254,106......317,902......425,402......509,256 1995: 588,331......178,035......287,741......357,402......472,808......561,225 1996: 658,124......212,626......335,433......411,404......535,164......629,684 1997: 727,303......241,239......377,241......459,639......594,007......696,161 1998: 788,452......274,009......424,506......512,836......651,964......755,240 1999: 877,292......317,419......486,464......583,002......732,890......842,168 2000: 980,521......366,929......553,670......660,150......823,706......942,179 Average tax rate (percentage): [4] 1986: 14.54......33.13......25.68......22.64......18.72......16.32 1987: 13.12......26.41......22.10......19.77......16.61......14.60 1988: 13.21......24.04......21.14......19.18......16.47......14.64 1989: 13.12......23.34......20.71......18.77......16.27......14.53 1990: 12.95......23.25......20.46......18.50......16.06......14.36 1991: 12.75......24.37......20.62......18.63......15.93......14.20 1992: 12.94......25.05......21.19......19.13......16.25......14.44 1993: 13.32......28.01......22.71......20.20......16.90......14.90 1994: 13.50......28.23......23.04......20.48......17.15......15.11 1995: 13.86......28.73......23.53......20.97......17.58......15.47 1996: 14.34......28.87......24.07......21.55......18.12......15.96 1997: 14.48......27.64......23.62......21.36......18.18......16.09 1998: 14.42......27.12......23.63......21.42......18.16......16.00 1999: 14.85......27.53......24.18......21.98......18.66......16.43 2000: 15.26......27.45......24.42......22.34......19.09......16.86 Adjusted gross income share (percentage): 1986: 100.00......11.30......24.11......35.12......59.04......83.34 1987: 100.00......12.32......25.67......36.90......60.75......84.37 1988: 100.00......15.16......28.51......39.45......62.44......85.07 1989: 100.00......14.19......27.84......39.00......62.28......85.04 1990: 100.00......14.00......27.62......38.77......62.13......84.97 1991: 100.00......12.99......26.83......38.20......61.85......84.87 1992: 100.00......14.23......28.01......39.23......62.47......85.08 1993: 100.00......13.79......27.76......39.05......62.45......85.08 1994: 100.00......13.80......27.85......39.19......62.64......85.11 1995: 100.00......14.60......28.81......40.16......63.37......85.46 1996: 100.00......16.04......30.36......41.59......64.32......85.92 1997: 100.00......17.38......31.79......42.83......65.05......86.16 1998: 100.00......18.47......32.85......43.77......65.63......86.33 1999: 100.00......19.51......34.04......44.89......66.46......86.75 2000: 100.00......20.81......35.30......46.01......67.15......87.01 Total income tax share (percentage): 1986: 100.00......25.75......42.57......54.69......76.02......93.54 1987: 100.00......24.81......43.26......55.61......76.92......93.93 1988: 100.00......27.58......45.62......57.28......77.84......94.28 1989: 100.00......25.24......43.94......55.78......77.22......94.17 1990: 100.00......25.13......43.64......55.36......77.02......94.19 1991: 100.00......24.82......43.38......55.82......77.29......94.52 1992: 100.00......27.54......45.88......58.01......78.48......94.94 1993: 100.00......29.01......47.36......59.24......79.27......95.19 1994: 100.00......28.86......47.52......59.45......79.55......95.23 1995: 100.00......30.26......48.91......60.75......80.36......95.39 1996: 100.00......32.31......50.97......62.51......81.32......95.68 1997: 100.00......33.17......51.87......63.20......81.67......95.72 1998: 100.00......34.75......53.84......65.04......82.69......95.79 1999: 100.00......36.18......55.45......66.45......83.54......96.00 2000: 100.00......37.42......56.47......67.33......84.01......96.09 N/A-- Not applicable. [1] The number of returns with negative adjusted gross income, i.e., returns with an adjusted gross deficit, and the corresponding amounts for adjusted gross deficit, were excluded from Table 1. By excluding deficit returns, alternative minimum tax reported on some of these returns was also excluded. For Tax Year 2000, there were 5,714 returns with no adjusted gross income that reported income tax, mostly alternative minimum tax, totaling $100.6 million. [2] For Table 1, constant dollars were calculated using the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' consumer price index for urban consumers (CPI-U, 1982-84=100). For 2000 the CPI-U = 172.2 [3] Total income tax is the sum of income tax after credits and alternative minimum tax reported on returns that showed a positive amount for adjusted gross income. Therefore, total income tax excludes alternative minimum tax, Form 8814 tax (tax on a child's interest or dividends), and Form 4972 tax (tax on lump-sum distributions from qualified retirement plans) reported on some returns with a negative amount for adjusted gross income. See also footnote 1. [4] The average tax rate was computed by dividing total income tax (see footnote 3) by (positive) adjusted gross income. Note: Unles otherwise stated, money amounts are in current (not constant) denominations. Source: Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income Division, Unpublished Statistics, September 2002.
• 

  Yerusalyim

  ThiChi,

  Because us guys with big families pump more into the foundations of the economy. Food stuffs, houses, etc.
• 

  SixofNine

  But we agree on one thing - terrorism is the wild-card.

  But if it's only a matter of when, then it isn't really that much of a wild card, is it? Perhaps in terms of politics.

  The tax cuts are the politicians way of taking out credit cards with our childrens' and grandchildrens' name on them, and coercing us to charge them to the hilt. It is theft, until such time as future deficits are funded (and we are a long, long, painful road away from that).
• 

  Francois

  Some of you folks are mixing apples and oranges. This is a FEDERAL tax cut; and you are complaining about STATE economic problems. Remember too that the tax cut is designed to ease the burden of people who are actually PAYING TAXES. That would be the top 50% of tax payers. More precisely, it would be the top 5% who are taking it in the nose. The bottom 50% pay about FOUR per cent of all taxes.

  francois
• 

  ThiChi

  Another myth about "the rich" has been shattered – namely the conventional wisdom that they are all Republicans – thanks to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics. A December 18, 2002 Washington Times editorial reports that donors giving "small and medium amounts" in 2002 overwhelmingly supported the GOP, while "rich or deep-pocketed givers" hugely backed the Democrats!

  Those giving $200 to $999: GOP $68 million; Democrats $44 million. Those giving $1,000 to $9,999: GOP $317 million; Democrats $307 million. The "fabulously wealthy" donors of $10,000+ gave $111 million to the GOP – a whopping $29 million less than the $140 million they lavished on the Democrats! Among those who gave $100,000+, the Democrats raised $72 million – more than double the $34 million the GOP took.

  In addition, the GOP attracted 40% more individual donors! (George W. Bush set an all-time fund-raising record by collecting the most money from one-thousand-dollar donors in the history of presidential politics.) Far more people giving small amounts exist as contributors to the Republican Party - while Democrats skunked the GOP among the super-rich. That's no surprise, since nine of the twelve richest members of the United States Senate are Democrats.
• 

  ThiChi

  Yerusalyim:

  Good point, captain!
• 

  Yerusalyim

  Six,

  You ignore one point, it's not the governments money, it's OUR money. The Tax cuts will grow the economy...slowly,but it will happen. Bush and the congress have already gotten us out of the recession Clinton left us with IN SPITE OF 9-11.
• 

  ThiChi

  ""The tax cuts are the politicians way of taking out credit cards with our childrens' and grandchildrens' name on them, and coercing us to charge them to the hilt. It is theft, until such time as future deficits are funded (and we are a long, long, painful road away from that).""

  Who’s money is it anyway? The presumption is it is the peoples money. What is needed is reduced spending, cutting waste, not more taxes.

  Remember, the government cannot create wealth. It can only take from one person and give it to another. Now that is theft!
• 

  gitasatsangha

  I'm all for tax cuts. I'm all for government cuts too.

  Democrats for for government increases, and tax increases

  Republicans are for government increases, and tax cuts

  Libertarians are for government reduction, and for tax cuts.

  guess I'm voting third party, again.