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Originally Posted by PepsiFree
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And I think we agree on tax, I may have worded it poorly. I think higher consumption taxes are needed (with essentials exempt for everyone regardless of income) and a flat tax that applies to everyone equally (so whether you're making 30k or 1M, you're paying 20%, or whatever). You could set an exempt amount, so, no tax on the first 30k and 20% on everything above, but in general I think there are ways to ensure everyone pays their fair share without progressive taxation...
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Completely agree on these points about taxation. It may be naive of me, but I think before we go down the UBI road or any other similar, new initiatives, we should really try to simplify taxes. The fairest and simplest way to do that is modest flat income tax across the board and a higher consumption tax (with exemptions for essentials)... At that point tax exemption rates (like you said, say $30k per individual) can be adjusted and we can have a more straightforward talk about a UBI and how that can help top-up the lowest income earners. Dare to dream...