Quote:
Originally Posted by Enoch Root
Re-establishing income-splitting for couples is also a good idea. The idea that two couples, one earning $100k and $0K, and the other earning $50k and $50k, would pay (substantially) different taxes, is silly.
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That's a bad example, as those two couples would pay pretty similar taxes. In Alberta the first couple would pay $23,150 in taxes ($26,900 minus the $3,750 saved from transferring the lower earning spouse's personal exemption) and the second one would pay $22,200, for a difference of $950.
And I really don't see how it makes sense to disincentive the non-working person or lower earning spouse by effectively taxing that person at the higher earner's marginal rate for any income they earn.
It's a measure that almost solely benefits high earners in traditional family units where one member can afford to not work. It provides essentially nothing about 2/3rds of the population.