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Delta62 On February 03, 2023
Natural asshole





manchester, United Kingdom
#16New Post! Apr 11, 2019 @ 18:19:48
@Leon Said

Got it now. Thanks for clearing it up.

And I agree. As much as you guys are taxed, it’s amazing how simplistic it seems.

I think our system isn’t so much how little we are taxed, although it IS less than what you pay, but how much individuals here can successfully try and twist and turn to squeeze out as much as we can from paying the standard amount.


All our tax is automated, by automated I mean calculated and deducted from your pay check by use of specialist software used by the company, unless you are self employed, then you have to do your own income tax and other taxes and send it off by April 5th.

For example if you went to a pound store (dollar store would be the equivalent) and bought 5 items then you'd only have to pay £5 as the sales tax is incorporated into the price of the item. From what I know you guys and purdy tiger's have to add X amount to the price because the sales tax isn't included.
DiscordTiger On December 04, 2021
The Queen of Random

Administrator




Emerald City, United States (g
#17New Post! Apr 11, 2019 @ 19:56:15
Right the sales tax varies by county and city. For example I work in one county and live in another. A cup of the same starbucks coffee order is between 5.20 and 5.30 depending on which store I use.

Also when I used to order products from the UK, I never paid the VAT. So it was first figuring out the money conversion rates, and then it was always some mystery amount less, that I never knew exactly. I don't order anymore, since we finally got our own lush store. I also know the lush has a US website, but the UK version was better.

The different amounts per county/city is also an issue for commuters for me, as if I shop in ABQ their police, firefighters and such get the tax money, but my local area does not, so there is always a big push to "shop local"
chaski On about 6 hours ago
Stalker





Tree at Floydgirrl's Window,
#18New Post! Apr 11, 2019 @ 21:09:39
@DiscordTiger Said

Right the sales tax varies by county and city. For example I work in one county and live in another. A cup of the same starbucks coffee order is between 5.20 and 5.30 depending on which store I use.

Also when I used to order products from the UK, I never paid the VAT. So it was first figuring out the money conversion rates, and then it was always some mystery amount less, that I never knew exactly. I don't order anymore, since we finally got our own lush store. I also know the lush has a US website, but the UK version was better.

The different amounts per county/city is also an issue for commuters for me, as if I shop in ABQ their police, firefighters and such get the tax money, but my local area does not, so there is always a big push to "shop local"


Florida has sales tax, and some counties of Florida add a couple cents.

In South Florida when there is a hurricane, or some other natural disaster, they will put a moratorium on the sales tax.

They also canceled sales tax on school items just at the beginning of the school year.

Both of these kinds of moratoriums seem to help people and the stores as sales typically increase.

Florida's text system seems to be doing pretty well for the state.
DiscordTiger On December 04, 2021
The Queen of Random

Administrator




Emerald City, United States (g
#19New Post! Apr 11, 2019 @ 21:42:42
@chaski Said

Florida has sales tax, and some counties of Florida add a couple cents.

In South Florida when there is a hurricane, or some other natural disaster, they will put a moratorium on the sales tax.

They also canceled sales tax on school items just at the beginning of the school year.

Both of these kinds of moratoriums seem to help people and the stores as sales typically increase.

Florida's text system seems to be doing pretty well for the state.



We have the August tax free weekend too,usually school/office supplies and clothes/shoes. Also most food is not taxed. Food as in the grocery store, not prepared food (like my starbucks order). So like hot stuff from the deli or prepared sandwiches and salads made in store are taxed, but not the prepackaged stuff that comes that way from the distrubutor. They ere considering the return of the food tax a while back, but ended up going a different direction.

I'm not opposed to sales tax in general, high sales tax combined with income tax as we have it, does tend to more negatively impact the poor. Especially things like food, basic hygiene stuff, and gas - that are necessities.

our state has money revenue issues, but I'm certain it is not just a tax issue....it's also a spending issue and an income issue.


That being said not being able to free file with the IRS is going to impact a lot of people, as even for free it was either income based or how simple your forms were. We never could use the free stuff just for our filing, because we have investments that have to go on the 1040 or the 1040A not the 1040EZ... and its always a stupidly small amount like $5 that f***s everything over every year.
* I also have not dont my taxes yet this year. I may do them this weekend, or if not an extension again. Gathering our medical deductions is pain in the a** I am not looking forward to.

We do use H&R block though, mostly because my dad does work for them. It used to be an independent franchise, but was taken over by corporate this season. I get a "family discount" provided I don't take an appointment away from a full price paying customer, I also don't get some of the audit protections with the discount, but f*** me if I remember them right now. Or I use the website which is cheaper than in person, but more than going to my dad. I did that last year

H&R block should pay their peeps better, based off what they charge though.
Delta62 On February 03, 2023
Natural asshole





manchester, United Kingdom
#20New Post! Apr 11, 2019 @ 22:07:50
And I thought that the Welsh were trying to break me with their place names 🤣
Leon On December 21, 2023




San Diego, California
#21New Post! Apr 12, 2019 @ 00:03:21
@chaski Said

I'm a believer in a federal sales tax for all... people, corporations... citizens, non-citizens. If you buy stuff, you are taxed. You don't want to pay taxes, don't buy stuff.

Is it double taxing if a business buys stuff and pays taxes on it, and when someone buys their products they pay tax "again"? Maybe, but I don't care.

You buy >>> you are taxed.

No exemptions, no loop holes... everyone pays taxes for whatever they buy.

No forms, no auditors, no turbotax, no argument over a politician's taxes filings... the lion share of money laundering would disappear... etc

Get rid of all the other tax filing nonsense.


The only problem with this overly simplistic approach is it favors the rich over the poor because everyone has to spend a certain amount to survive. One can only enjoy saving on taxes via discretionary spending beyond this basic cost of living.

Unless everyone gets a rebate of a certain amount or certain goods (such as food) isn’t taxed, I wouldn’t be in favor of such a system.

I do like the U.K. system from the looks of it. Zero loopholes or itemization, flat rate beyond a certain level of income. All automatic.
chaski On about 6 hours ago
Stalker





Tree at Floydgirrl's Window,
#22New Post! Apr 12, 2019 @ 00:55:37
@Leon Said

The only problem with this overly simplistic approach is it favors the rich over the poor...




Not sure that' I agree with that.

It seems to me that the present tax system favors big corporations, the rich and to a lesser degree the poor.

Presently It is the middle class (and to a degree small businesses & small corporations) that carries the burden.

A federal sales tax would remove all of the loopholes that the rich and big corporations presently have... if they buy stuff they pay a tax on it... they wouldn't get the write-offs that they presently get.

Should the poor get a break... on some level? Maybe.

But ultimately the tax burden would fall on the big spenders... the rich buy more so would be taxed "more"... big corporations buy more so would be taxed... right now they mostly get a pass.

You can tell, in part, what i am saying is true by one fact: the rich & bug corporations don't support a federal sales tax, the want a complex tax code that they can manipulate.
Leon On December 21, 2023




San Diego, California
#23New Post! Apr 12, 2019 @ 01:12:46
@chaski Said

Not sure that' I agree with that.

It seems to me that the present tax system favors big corporations, the rich and the poor.

It is the middle class (and to a degree small businesses & small corporations) that carry the burden.

A federal sales tax would remove all of the loopholes that the rich and big corporations presently have... if they buy stuff they pay a tax on it... they wouldn't get the write-offs that they presently get.

Should the poor get a break... on some level? Maybe.

But ultimately the tax burden would fall on the big spenders... the rich buy more so would be taxed "more"... big corporations buy more so would be taxed... right now they mostly get a pass.

You can tell, in part, what i am saying is true by one fact: the rich & bug corporations don't support a federal sales tax, the want a complex tax code that they can manipulate.


No argument on our current system. It’s a mess.

I’m just saying that with your system the poor would be taxed more than the rich in terms of percentage of income simply because the poor (and middle class for that matter) spend a larger percentage of their income than the rich do.

So a fed sales tax is a non-starter for Democrats for that reason (such a proposal has been presented in Congress before - usually by Republicans).

UNLESS certain goods and services are not taxed and/or everyone gets a refund up to a certain amount.
Leon On December 21, 2023




San Diego, California
#24New Post! Apr 12, 2019 @ 01:28:33
For example:

Say we have an individual that earns $50,000 a year. This is barely enough to live on in California. So he ends up spending all of it. Say the Fed Sales Tax is 10%. Then 10% of $50,000 is $5,000 in taxes.

This is equivalent to a 10% income tax rate for him.

Say we have another individual who earns $200,000. He spends $150,000 of it and saves $50,000 in savings and investments every year. So his taxes come to 10% of $150,000, or $15,000.

This is equivalent to a 7.5% income tax rate for the rich dude.
Leon On December 21, 2023




San Diego, California
#25New Post! Apr 12, 2019 @ 01:33:54
However, if we give both a refund of, say, $3,000, then the poorer person has the equivalent of a 4% income tax rate and the rich person has the equivalent of a 6.5% income tax rate.
DiscordTiger On December 04, 2021
The Queen of Random

Administrator




Emerald City, United States (g
#26New Post! Apr 12, 2019 @ 01:56:52
@chaski Said

Not sure that' I agree with that.

It seems to me that the present tax system favors big corporations, the rich and the poor.

It is the middle class (and to a degree small businesses & small corporations) that carry the burden.

A federal sales tax would remove all of the loopholes that the rich and big corporations presently have... if they buy stuff they pay a tax on it... they wouldn't get the write-offs that they presently get.

Should the poor get a break... on some level? Maybe.

But ultimately the tax burden would fall on the big spenders... the rich buy more so would be taxed "more"... big corporations buy more so would be taxed... right now they mostly get a pass.



I agree on the corporation part .. that they don’t currently pay their fair share. And that the rich have more discretionary spending.

I do worry about the poor, working poor, and even some part of the middle class. It’s actually more expensive to be poor sometimes. Like say I’m a DINK household. I have a job that means moving around the library and helping people. Which can mean lots of time on my feet. (Granted I have the wheelchair now, but spent many years standing at counter or roaming reference. I still do that? Just seated). Some of my coworkers barely make minimum wage, and work the same counter along with having to shelve. ( even more standing/walking). Good shoes are important. Not a variety, but quality.
I can afford the 300 pair of shoes easily a month. And they last me 3-5 years.
My coworkers can’t scrape together 300 if they want to actually eat that month. So they buy the $20 shoes. That wear out in three months.
Over 3 years I spent $300, they spend $720. Even if they suffer and stretch out their shoe use to 6 months, it’s $360.

Add in I can buy groceries in bulk or when on sale, and have an extra freezer for storage my groceries bill is less even if we are buying the same type of foods.

It’s things like that that make me leery of going to only a sales tax or flat tax. I’m open to investigating the numbers, especially since a constitutional amendment is involved to get rid of the income tax. I just have not seen a plan better. Not saying the current tax code isn’t ducked up. Too many loopholes or deductions and tax breaks for corporations and the uber rich.

I don’t thing anyone in the government is willing to sit down and fix it right now though. Which sucks.
DiscordTiger On December 04, 2021
The Queen of Random

Administrator




Emerald City, United States (g
#27New Post! Apr 12, 2019 @ 02:02:44
Yes, add Leon’s math to my math and it gets worse.

Two different ways the poor (and working poor) are screwed.

Not even thinking about those that don’t want to work and are looking for a handout and make bad money decisions. Those people exist, but I don’t think they are the majority of the poor/working poor. It’s just easy to say people on food stamps are dining on lobster and steak on the taxpayers dime.

Granted unions might make better wages for those that do work, but unions are not universally supported either.
Leon On December 21, 2023




San Diego, California
#28New Post! May 07, 2019 @ 19:57:29
So now an attorney in California is suing Big Tax Preparer (a multi-billion dollar business) on behalf of the people over this. Good for them.

In my wife’s country where she was born, government does everyone’s taxes for them, via the paycheck deduction, and automatically issues the refunds every December in what’s called “13th month pay”.

We need something like that. They have all our information anyways.
Leon On December 21, 2023




San Diego, California
#29New Post! Jun 11, 2019 @ 03:32:24
So it looks like Congress decided to remove this provision. Nice to see they listened to people over corporate interests for a change, although it probably wouldn’t have happened if enough people weren’t screaming and yelling over it.

If only they could now do the same for net neutrality. And health care and climate change for that matter.
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