[so_real]

The part that I've been screaming about for years is :

More than $107,000 per citizen -- More than $323,000 per taxpayer

Why does less than half the population pay the taxes that are supposed to prevent us from racking up this debt? Flat tax? Fair Tax? I don't care which, but this income tax where only honest hard working middle aged and legally employed people contribute has got to go.

[volare737]

Yes, it is disgusting that about half of our population pays ZERO income tax. Everyone should pay something—even if it is only a dollar.

[Tell It Right]

Why does less than half the population pay the taxes that are supposed to prevent us from racking up this debt? Flat tax? Fair Tax? I don't care which, but this income tax where only honest hard working middle aged and legally employed people contribute has got to go.

I've been thinking a lot lately that the tariffs are, in some way, the Fair Tax some of us FReepers have been supporting. If tariffs do raise prices so that the govt can get some money, then it's indirectly a fair tax. Or at least, it would be if we got rid of the income tax. (The idea of a Fair Tax is it would replace the income tax, not be a new tax in addition to the income tax.)

But one could argue that the Trump tax cuts are a lowering of income tax, with tariffs replacing some of what we used to pay in income taxes. So us Fair Tax supporters are getting half of what we wanted. And this version of the Fair Tax is only on purchases of imports (tariffs), not on all purchases.