Welfare is ridiculous. Taxes are crazy. I pay over 30k in income taxes per year. Is it fair?

Question

I know i will get little sympathy, but i believed I am an overlooked part of the population. I grew up very poor, worked hard got an education, now make 150k per year. My wife and I have no kids. Guess how much in taxes I pay? My hard work is penalized. % wise, i am footing quite a bit more than someone who does not want to better themself. it stinks...

150k is far from being rich!

I love USA. It is the welafe state that the libs want that is the problem

Answer 1

No, you are not alone. Many people in the U.S. are penalized by the tax code, especially those that produce and are successful.

The tax code should be abolished and replaced with either a flat tax or consumption tax. Along with this, we should have a Constitutional amendment that sets limits on taxation and government growth.

The tax code now is nothing more than a political tool for getting votes. It has nothing to do with what the tax code should be used for. The tax code should simply be a means by which the government collects revenue to fund those essential services that it must do as set forth in the Constitution. Nothing more, nothing less. The tax code should not be used for redistributing wealth from those that produce to those that do not.

150K a year is not rich nor should be considered rich. In fact, how much someone makes should be no concern of anyone, including the government. The government should only be concerned with having a fair tax system that produces enough revenue for basic services.

Right now you are in the top 5% of income earners and are paying about 70% of the total income tax while over 40% of Americans pay zero federal income tax. It is not a fair system nor is it a system that promotes success.

Answer 2

Welfare is ridiculous!! But realize that the tax dollar doesn't go exclusively to welfare. IT funds many other things. Such as the Iraq war with it's endless price tag.
Also realize that it was while democrat president, that changes were made to the system to get lifers off.
Republicans were in control of the country for over 6 years yet welfare still exists. Not only does it still exist but public assistant of some form has balloon to one in 6 people the highest rate ever.
Furthermore the red states are also the state which have the highest number of welfare receipts.

Answer 3

Welfare is a relatively small part of the taxes you pay so why are you so worried about that portion; the military is a much larger portion. I think you are taking a lot for granted; money is needed to build roads. Not sure it is appropriate to toss the elderly onto the streets. Our tax dollars pay the police men that make our communities safer. You talk about your education (many states subsidize a part of the education to make it cheaper). Then, there are the various student grants for college. At 150K/year, you should still have enough money to contribute to a retirement plan and still live a pretty nice life. I have a feeling that you have used the system and are averse to paying it back. My advice is make sure your congressman are reflective of your interests and realize that you will have to continue to pay taxes to pay for the services mentioned.

Answer 4

All taxes are unfair, but no one yet has figured out how to pay for government without them. In terms of the US economy you are clearly in what we call the upper middle class--and yeah, you bear an inordinate burden because recent policies have been to cut taxes on the richest of the rich.

However, it should also be pointed out that welfare simply keeps the worst aspects of poverty from becoming unbearable. As a result, since the welfare state was established during the Great Depression, the number of violent riots associated with economic downturns have decreased significantly. Likewise, so has random crime. The vast majority of those on welfare or any form of public assistance try very hard to get off of it as soon as feasible.

The premise that everyone on public assistance is there because of moral failures or laziness simply does not bear up under examination.

Meanwhile, you are very correct that our tax system and in fact our fiscal policies in general need considerable reform. One thing that (for example) the Clinton White House did was target tax cuts, encouraging actual investment. Across the board tax cuts of the wealthy side-by-side with massive new (mostly military) spending are a formula for disaster on many levels.

Answer 5

Well, unfortunately that is just the way things are, whether it's fair or not. You are right it would be much more fair for everyone to pay the same percentage in taxes. At least you can feel proud about what you have accomplished in your life and hold your head high.

I don't think your 120k after tax income is anything to complain about, though! My husband made 70k last year (12 years military) and paid $15,550 in taxes and we manage to pay a mortgage, run our vehicle, feed and clothe our two kids as well as pay for my schooling (because my 6 years military service won't get me a decent job; not much work out there for sonar operators on civi street). We are by no means hurting for money and are very happy with our lives.

It sounds like you've made a good life for yourself. Focus on the positives, be happy with what you have, and make the most of your life!

Cheers.

Answer 6

if you think 150k is far from being rich... THEN YOU CLEARLY WERE NEVER POOR...

most poor people would view that as rich... and if you did grow up poor, you would view that as being rich too... at least to some degree...

the median income for an individual in America is $24,000 (that's 50 percent of America that makes that much or less, according to the 2000 census)... and you're paying more than that in taxes... you have the money to pay more than that in taxes...

you're one of those, "my dad only made $75,000 a year and I grew up poor" types it sounds like... try buying a clue...

you're still paying less than 30 percent and keeping 120k a year... so boo hoo... you're merely being asked to support a system that's allowed you to be blessed so greatly...

Answer 7

It doesn't stink. It's perfectly reasonable for you to pay more in taxes percentage-wise than someone making (for argument's sake) half your salary. That's because people deserve to have the ability to meet their basic needs. If you make $75k/year in salary and you pay 30% income tax, that leaves you with $52,500. Now, let's assume it costs $25k/year to meet all your basic needs. You now have $27,500 left, almost a third of your original income.

Okay, so what if you were making $150k/year paying the same 30% in tax and $25k for basic needs? You would be left with $80k, or over half your original income. It means more to the person making $75k/year to pay 30% in taxes than someone making $150k/year. But there aren't enough $150k/year jobs to go around, so it's not as though everyone can "pull themselves up by the bootstraps." I'm not trying to take away from your accomplishments. I'm sure you worked hard to get where you are today. But it is a myth that people are poor because they do not want to better themselves.

Are you going to say that spikes in unemployment are the result of mass laziness? No, because that's ridiculous.

Answer 8

Do you have any idea how small 20% is??? So are you saying that you would rather be poor and worry about where you sleep and eat, than being financially stable and not have to worry about those things. Do you know that the Scandinavian countries are constantly paying more in taxes than America probably ever will and they are consistantly cited as one of the best places to live in the world. Maybe it's because they take care of all their countrymen and see a happy and successful life as one where they don't have to see poverty and homelessness in a country that has plenty to offer all

Answer 9

You have reached the American dream. you are one of the filthy rich the Democrat rail about. You exceed the amount that that is taxes by Social Security. Your tax rate for your income is only 28% of your income. Hopefully you are not self employed, if so make sure you pay your own matching 1/2 Of Social Security taxes . The Democrats are out to correct your wealth, they will correct this by allowing Bushes tax cuts expire in 2010, that will make you pay more of your share. P.S just joking , sorry life isn't

Answer 10

I too grew up poor, and I too am doing pretty well for myself now after years of hard work. I paid close to the same amount in taxes as you did. The differance? I'm not bitching about helping other people, or about getting services for my taxes. Luck is a funny thing thougnh, I could lose it all tommorrow and who is going to help me? You? Ha!

May I also point out that if welfare and social security and these other "socialist" programs did not exist, you would be directly affected. History shows that societies whose proportion of poor to not-poor get out of whack tend to have violent revolutions eventually. And then you'd see what REAL socialism is.