The democratic tax bill I'd love to see
This one is for you Bill, but I would love to see the Democrats ideal tax bills.
My principles of a Democratic tax bill is on three pillars:
My principles of a Democratic tax bill is on three pillars:
- The tax must be progressive whereby top earners pay their "fair share".
- The tax must be simple.
- The tax must maximize tax relief for "working families".
Here's my stab at it. I'm only going to focus on individual taxes. So let's see:
- Two tax brackets: 20 & 40%. 20% up to 80,000/160,000 for single/married filing joint. 40% above.
- Income is income, regardless of the nature - interest, dividends, capital gains, benefits paid by employer, including social security.
- All itemized deductions are removed save charitable contributions, with the 30/50% AGI rule shelved. The other deductions allowed are IRA/Pension plan contributions.
- Bigger standard deduction and exemptions. Exemptions up to $5,000/head, indexed to inflation with no phase out. New standard deduction of $15,000/$30,000 for single married filing joint.
- No more AMT.
Here's the positives of this:
- Eliminate the different tax treatments of different types of income. A person with $100,000 of wages pays the same as one with $100,000 of dividends.
- Standard deduction for everyone ensures that people with different spending habits don't have different tax results. A renter is on the same level as a homeowner with a mortgage. A person in a low tax state is on the level with one in a high tax state.
- Helps "working families". My system means a family of four making $50,000 pays no Federal Income Tax. A single person making $20,000 pays no tax.
- Simple - 90% of the people can do their own taxes based on this simple formula.
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