Those with 'the means' to avoid paying their "Fair Share" of Taxes -- Do.
Do, avoid it.
Corporate Income Tax as a Share of GDP, 1946-2009
Also available as: PDF, Excel
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And those without 'the means' to avoid paying our ever-expanding Share of Taxes (ie. the worker bees) -- Don't.
Don't, shirk OUR Patriotic duty. We just keep paying.
Type of Tax as a Share of Federal Revenues, 1946 - 2004
Also available as: PDF, Excel
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About Tax Policy Center -- Urban Institute, Brookings Institution
Tax Facts provides tax information for citizens, policy analysts, legislators, and the press. Data are compiled from a variety of sources, including the Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, Internal Revenue Service, the Joint Committee on Taxation, the Congressional Budget Office, the Department of the Treasury, the Federation of Tax Administrators, and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.
More TPC -- Tax Facts data
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There are some Economic "Truisms" in our current version of America:
"It takes Money -- to MAKE Money."
which means the Bigger Slice of Pie you have,
the Bigger Slice of that Pie you can Demand the next time.
Small group takes large slice of capital income
Andrea Orr, Economic Policy Institute -- April 14, 2010
Rising rates of stock ownership and home ownership in recent decades notwithstanding, the families with the highest incomes are receiving a growing share of total capital income. [...]
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In 1979, the top 10% of families received 67.0% of all income generated by assets such as stocks, bonds and real estate. By 2006, that share had risen to 81.3%. By contrast, the share of capital income that went to the other 90% of families has fallen from 33.0% in 1979 to 18.7% in 2006.
Here's another Economic "Truism" in our current implementation of America:
"The Rich -- get Richer."
which means those with "the Means",
can demand, or pay for, "the Breaks" that will favor their Demographic, the best --
Demand their Breaks, in ways that the rest of us can only aspire to ... someday.
Are your 'American Dreams', better off than your Parent's "aspirational goals' ... only a generation ago?
State of Working America preview: The rich get richer
Economic Policy Institute -- Dec 22, 2010
America’s wealthiest households in 2009 had net worth that was 225 times greater than the median family net worth.
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Wealth, or net worth, is a measure of a family’s total assets, including real estate, bank account balances, stock holdings, and retirement funds, minus all of their liabilities such as mortgages, student loans, and credit card debt. Although economic inequality is often described in terms of income inequality, the distribution of wealth is actually more unequal than the distribution of wages and income.
[...] accumulated assets, or wealth, can make it easier for them to invest in education and training, start a business, fund a retirement, and otherwise invest in their future. Since accumulated assets also provide a cushion against job loss and other financial emergencies, this growing wealth disparity shows why some households are more devastated by unemployment, illness, and other factors that cause a temporary loss of income.
Afterall when us "Median Income folks" have only about 1/200th of the assets of the Top 1% Wealthy folks,
sometimes you're forced to make some 'hard choices' when it comes to deciding which items
to 'invest in' next -- like food, shelter, health, education, like more Taxes.
Hard Choices that the Elites, have long since forgotten about.
Isn't "Sharing" Fun!
Decisions, decisions. Good thing us "Median Income folks" have such 'good hearts' ...
Otherwise the Country would have truly fallen into 'the abyss', long long ago.
Afterall, SOMEONE has to keep footing the Nation's Bills. Don't we?
And that's certainly isn't going to be THOSE with the Accountants, and Tax Lawyers.
Now is it?
Because we all know been taught that:
"Wealth does have ITS Privileges!"
... in our current "Everything Must Go!" -- 'Fire Sale' version of America.
Anyone want to buy a Governor, or two, for a mere $22,000 Dollars ?
... going, going, ... GONE! Sold, to the highest Bidder!
... Only in America -- where "Sharing" has become a Spectator Sport, in some Elite Circles, that is.
It's enough to make us Median Workers wonder,
When did America become, that place where Opportunity goes to die -- er, 'just barely get by' ... sometimes ... if were 'lucky', that is ???
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About The Economic Policy Institute
Research and Ideas for Shared Prosperity
The Economic Policy Institute, a nonprofit Washington D.C. think tank, was created in 1986 to broaden the discussion about economic policy to include the interests of low- and middle-income workers. Today, with global competition expanding, wage inequality rising, and the methods and nature of work changing in fundamental ways, it is as crucial as ever that people who work for a living have a voice in the economic discourse.
More EPI Economic Snapshots data