"with all the tax increases coming..." -- huh?

[Shanti Mama]

A friend wrote to me about how she's really down, particularly about all the tax increases coming. I think she might make six figures, but just barely. More likely she's now in the high 5 figure category.

What tax increases is she referring to? I'd like to be able to correct her, if she's wrong.

Thanks.

[notadmblnd]

1. She has no idea, ask her what she's talking about

I guarantee,you wont get a rational answer- if you get an answer at all.

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

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[ET Awful]

14. If you cut taxes on large corporations, thus decreasing revenue, necessitating cutting of funding

to states, do states not, in turn, increase the cost of everything they previously gained federal assistance for such as infrastructure, emergency response, water, etc.?

[Name removed]

25. Deleted message

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[ET Awful]

27. Actually, if most small businesses aren't incorporated, their owners are fools.

The protection incorporating would offer to a small business owner is well worth the negligible cost of incorporating.

Either way, you're kind of missing the point. First - small businesses are saving money in taxes right now, their taxes have not gone up. They are, in fact getting additional deductions and credits for things like providing their employees with health care.

Second, large corporations aren't paying anywhere near what they should be. The lack of revenue from these corporations (who, in fact, pay a lower percentage of their profits in taxes than small business do by a very large margin) results in increased taxes somewhere for everyone else (including small businesses), usually at the local or state level (via property tax increases, increased state taxes, etc.).

Good job of dodging the point though.

[Name removed]

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[ET Awful]

39. Little clue for you, the FACT that your local fees, taxes, etc. go up when

federal funding goes down is not conjecture, it is fact.

Second, you still haven't explained what these alleged new taxes you refer to are, since small businesses will, as I pointed out be getting tax breaks under all currently proposed plans.

Hell, with how many half-truths, lies and conjectures you seem to spout, one might begin so suspect that your goal isn't to have legitimate discussion but, instead, to repeat something you heard on the radio from any of the plethora of disinformation spreading hosts up and down the dial.

[notadmblnd]

15. I would think so, however, if you were reading here yesterday

you might have come across an article that said most US corporations pay no income tax at all in the US.

[ljm2002]

23. Non sequitur...

...the question at hand is, WHAT NEW TAXES?????

Until we know what new taxes are being referred to, we can hardly make comments about what effects they might have.

[Name removed]

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[ET Awful]

40. LMAO. . . you expect to be taken seriously when you quote Dubya?

Here's a little lesson in reality for you.

The rich (such as, for instance, Dubya himself who has a vested interest in keeping you believing his tripe, oil company executives, financial company executives and insurance company executives) work in industries that do one of two things:

Lie to you about their costs increasing and increase your pricing by astronomical amounts and somehow still manage to make record profits. Simple math shows you that if your raising your prices in a direct response to an increase in costs, your profits will remain level or show a slight increase. They will not, however, result in the largest single quarter profit ever shown for a corporation anywhere.

Or

They will engage in business practices which prey upon the public resulting in long predicted collapse of the industry necessitating billions of dollars in public funding (requested by your beloved Dubya) while all the time continuing to pay their executives millions of dollars in bonuses out of those funds.

Now, here's a little history lesson for you:

At one point in this country not so long ago, we were an extremely prosperous nation. Prices were reasonable for pretty much everyone, and life was pretty good for most. The maximum tax rate on corporations was 90% and corporations did not receive tax breaks by shipping US jobs overseas. A certain political viewpoint (shared by people like the one you quoted) said that by reducing the tax rates on corporations, you'd reduce costs for everyone and more jobs would be created . . . well, we all know how that worked out over the years don't we?

If lowering taxes on corporations and the rich helped the middle class, how exactly did we end up with a growing disparity between the income of the rich and the income of the poor and a rapidly shrinking middle class. This was even more pronounced over the years Dubya was president.

You really should spend some more time in the reality based community.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

42. Are taxes going up? Which ones?

[Recursion]

24. Nope

And if they do, we just pass it on to our employers by requiring higher wages.

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

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[Recursion]

30. It's called "capitalism"

And, yes, as cycles go it's pretty crappy.

[Name removed]

31. Deleted message

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[Recursion]

41. That's just as much a "no true Scotsman" dodge as when socialists say it about the USSR

"Oh, well we're not really capitalist", etc. I've read The Wealth of Nations; it works better than Ambien. More to the point, it's no more "pure" capitalism (it's strongly conditioned by his desire to end mercantilism) than any other form.

[Chemical Bill]

44. Enjoy your stay. n/t

[Arkana]

2. Your friend most likely is a talk-radio devotee

and the taxes she refers to are the Rush Limbaugh Just Pulled These Numbers Out Of His Fat Cyst-Studded Ass Taxes.

[wtmusic]

3. ^ Forward this to her

:thumbsup:

[ProdigalJunkMail]

10. maybe she is simply reading Reuters...

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6355N520100406?rpc=60

[sandnsea]

4. Congratulate her on her raise to $250,000+

Since nobody else is getting a tax increase.

[tech9413]

5. Tax increases? I'd love to have tax increases

That might mean I earned something. Tell your friend to count her blessings and think about what it would be like if she lost that five figure income. Been there, done that. It's too easy to get comfortable and spend more than you need with that kind of income.

Tell your friend not to worry. Even if she is in the high six figures, any tax increase won't amount to much more than a dinner out. I can't understand why people are so afraid of taxes. It's just the cost of living in a community.

[KonaKane]

6. This is a stinking lie that will not die.

The facts are that most peoples' taxes went down under Obama. Hell we just got a nice fat $3,000 return (2,000 more than last year).

I cannot remember who said it, but the jist of it was that a lie lives a hundred times as long as an unpopular truth. Like "Saddam did the 9/11 attacks".

Morons.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

11. yeah...because people like Volcker say it... n/t

[Crystal Clarity]

16. "A stinking lie that will not die"

Oh so true. Unfortunately. Too bad that so many people still believe them despite reams of evidence that prove otherwise...The supposed Saddam-9/11 connection being a typical case in point.

Grrrr!

[old mark]

7. The imaginary ones the GOP is always blaming on Obama. nt

[Juche]

8. Various ones

Not that I am complaining mind you

http://taxes.about.com/od/2009taxes/a/obama_tax_proposals.htm

A higher tax on medicare for upper income earners. The rate is now 3.8% instead of 2.9% on income above 200-250k. Plus investment income is taxed for medicare

Elimination of the Bush tax cuts in 2011 for people earning more than 250k

Cigarette taxes to fund SCHIP

Changing itemized deductions on the well off

He has talked about a higher capital gains tax, and a 2-4% tax on income above 250k for social security, which is now capped at 106k.


All in all, if you make more than 250k a year your taxes are going up and will keep going up. But if you make less than that you likely see a tax cut. Payroll taxes are cut, the make work pay tax credit, etc.

Personally I'm not in favor of the tax cuts on the middle class (I am lower middle class) because of how bankrupt the country is right now and I'd be in favor of keeping the middle class taxes (rather than cutting them) while dramatically increasing supply side taxes. But for the most part Obama is raising taxes on those making 250k+ a year and lowering them on everyone below that.

[maxsolomon]

54. its the expiration of the bush tax cuts that's got their knickers twisted

it's like the workers are seizing the means of production or something...

[ProdigalJunkMail]

9. she does seem to have a clue

and I think it is coming as well...

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6355N520100406?rpc=60

while Volcker does not explicitly say 'we are going to raise taxes' the trial balloon is out there...

sP

[RM33]

13. Don't forget tanning salons

Juche made some good points.

And don't forget, tanning salons will have their taxes increased under Obamacare.

[Robyn66]

17. Good

Maybe fewer people will go to them. Tanning salons are very dangerous and CAUSE skin cancer. THey should be taxed like cigarettes IMO

[The Straight Story]

19. We should tax people by the miles they drive, it also causes illness

But most people seem to be for taxing sins they don't commit themselves.

At least folks should be consistent.

[Robyn66]

20. Maybe I don't fully understand your point

I understand driving is dangerous. People die in accidents all the time. But tanning is an extremely dangerous practice that the public is really not as informed as they should be about. People are seriously endangering themselves doing something for cosmetic reasons and for the most part they are not aware. Maybe it would discourage people from tanning.

I am not a "tax everything" kind of person but I have always had a personal worry about tanning beds.

[The Straight Story]

21. Referring to smoking mainly

And taxing it because we see it as harmful. Car emissions and other things relating to the car industry are more harmful.

If we are going to tax things based on their impact on health we should be consistent.

[Robyn66]

22. You are right

My mother died of lung cancer at the age of 51 and she was an extremely heavy smoker. So they can tax cigarettes out of existence for all I care :) I am not even going to TRY and say I am unbiased about that one.

But I think there is a subtle difference between things like cigarettes, alcohol, and tanning beds because they are things that aren't necessary to live a normal life for the most part.

This is purely my opinion. Maybe cars should be taxed more. I don't know, but I think it would be easier on people who are having a tough time affording to get to work to give up tanning because they don't want to pay extra (although I am sure its not going to be THAT much more) plus they get the added health benefit.

[Gravel Democrat]

37. Already in the pipeline

Transportation Secretary Considers Pay-Per-Mile Tax
By Edward Niedermeyer on February 20, 2009
http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/transportation-secretary-considers-pay-per-mile-tax/

Transportation Secretary Ray La Hood is considering a transportation tax based on miles driven, to replace gasoline tax revenue. “We should look at the vehicular miles program where people are actually clocked on the number of miles that they traveled,” La Hood tells the Freep, echoing proposals being considered by Oregon, Idaho, Rhode Island, Massachusetts and North Carolina.

La Hood argues that gasoline tax revenues “can not be relied on” to fund infrastructure maintenance, presumably because relatively high prices have caused a downturn in gas tax revenue. “One of the things I think everyone agrees with around reauthorization of the highway bill is that the highway trust fund is an antiquated system for funding our highways,” LaHood said.

“It did work to build the interstate system and it was very effective, there’s no question about that. But the big question now is, We’re into the 21st Century and how are we going to take care of our infrastructure needs … with a highway trust fund that had to be plused up by $8 billion by Congress last year?” For La Hood the answer to that rhetorical question is “by putting GPS chips in your car and charging you by the mile.”


Much more...

Thing is, Democrats won't object until it's administered by a (R)

Of course, then it will be (guess the answer)

(Msg: La Hood: Maybe if we stopped spending a trillion dollars in Iraq and Afghanistan we'd have more money)

[ProdigalJunkMail]

53. the problem with this is that it taxes a

gas guzzler and a hybrid or even an electric at the same rate...bad bad bad policy decision.

sP

[Chemical Bill]

43. The air coming out of a tailpipe is often cleaner than what went in.

The pollution from petroleum comes from the well, the refinery, and the gas station. Here in the northeast, we have emissions from Ohio's coal fired electric plants, the exhaust from all the older cars, our own industries, etc. The exhaust from a new car is cleaner than the city air in my area.

Tax per mile is just another way to regressively tax the middle class.

Bill

[ET Awful]

28. So? Any business whose sole reason for existence is to provide luxury services

that contribute to an overall decline in the health of their clientele which results in increased costs to everyone else should be required to pay for that privilege.

[Name removed]

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[ET Awful]

38. Prescription light treatment is different, and it's HIGHLY doubtful that

an uncontrolled environment like a tanning salon would be recommended for a prescription treatment since there are no real controls on the industry.

Your arguments keep getting weaker you know.

[Name removed]

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[ET Awful]

47. Mmmmmhmmm. . . so it was prescribed by the VA? Really?

So you go to private tanning salons for care covered under your VA benefits (which are paid with by tax dollars) and complain about taxes that pay for that VA care?

I think that you're either (a) making shit up; or (b) twisting facts to fit a position that you haven't actually thought about other than through talking points fed to you by right-wing pundits.

Something prescribed by the VA is paid for by the VA (minus a co-pay if applicable) which in turn is paid for by your tax dollars.

So tell us, do you enjoy those tax payer funded VA benefits, or do you want the tax revenue that pays for them cut?

[Name removed]

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[Bigmack]

18. Tell your friend...."Good...

I hope taxes do go up. It's about time the super-rich and the corporations paid their fair share.... like in the 1950's and 1960's, when this country was building, not declining."

[Union Yes]

35. Please ask your friend to cite specific legislation. knr nt

[Capitalocracy]

36. Duh, they passed health care

didn't you hear what the Republicans said? Oh sure, the Dems say they're not raising taxes, but you wait and see.

Seriously, that's probably what she's worried about.

[lumberjack_jeff]

46. My reply would be "Wow! I didn't know you made so much money!"

Hers would be predictable "I don't". You could then do some educatin'.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

48. how about the VAT that is already being floated around?

who do you think THAT sort of tax will impact the hardest???

sP

[Xenotime]

49. I welcome a VAT that will help the economy. It's the only fair way for everyone.

[lumberjack_jeff]

51. My state relies on a sales tax. This state is the most regressive tax system in the US.

http://www.ctj.org/whop/whop_wa.pdf

I pay something near 20% of my gross income in state and local taxes because sales taxes are inherently UNFAIR.

[ProdigalJunkMail]

52. i disagree...that sort of a tax goes after the purchaser

of goods...as does any sales tax...and as with any sales tax...the VAT is regressive.

sP

[lumberjack_jeff]

50. I doubt it will happen. Less than 10% chance of it. n/t

[Statistical]

55. Bush tax cuts expiring end of 2010 automatically? n/t