(BTW, your posts are too long for my small brain to deal with in one swing. You might consider giving me one question at a time.)
What common measure should be used to specify tax rates so they can be fairly and accurately compared?
That's a very tough question. If the professionals haven't come up with one, there may not be one that's realizable. It may require a set of measures.
One of the constants in the system is total Fed tax revenues. Another set should be the various economc activities; although these could go up or down in fact, they should be constants for this exercise. Then the % of Fed revenues which come from different segments (from business, rich, moderate, and poor individuals, etc.) might be the set of measures.
That's a very tough question. If the professionals haven't come up with one, there may not be one that's realizable. It may require a set of measures.
Actually the experts have, just so happens though that opponents to the NRST take exception to the use of that measure.
One of the constants in the system is total Fed tax revenues.
True, however what does that to do with tax plans that do not replace but a portion of total federal revenues and are generally expressed in tax inclusive rates, such as Flat Tax, payroll taxes, any income tax measure, Business Trasaction Tax proposals, and others tax systems rooted in income.
Another set should be the various economc activities; although these could go up or down in fact, they should be constants for this exercise. Then the % of Fed revenues which come from different segments (from business, rich, moderate, and poor individuals, etc.) might be the set of measures.
That's all well and good, but not very useful for discussion of total impact on the citizen.
How do all those factors relate when one wants to equitably compare the rates of tax bills as they impact the citizen per-se. For you are aware that all taxation ultimate ties to the indiviudal through earnings from business ventures, earnings from investments, capital gains, labor income, and interest recieved and other forms of income out of which the individual ultimately pays taxes.
What kind of measure should one use to measure relative burden of taxation in respect to resources aquired by the individual to pay a tax?