Advocates promised the new tax would bring in over $1 billion a year in new revenue. And they quickly saw their predictions surpassed: the state Department of Revenue estimates it will generate over $1.5 billion this fiscal year.
I remember seeing this argument about billionaires and corporations leaving the US if they are taxed fairly at a national level. If that were the case then 1. The US wouldn’t lose out on revenue it wasn’t losing out on already, and 2. The “free market” or the government would adapt to fill the abandoned niche.
Besides we would all be better off if people like that left. Human happiness levels off around 110k per year, on average in the US. If there really are people who would give up all the things that make normal people happy just to add a marginal amount to their net worth, do we really want them?
We have all unfortunately met someone like this. Someone who cuts the line at an all you can eat buffet. All the food you could possibly want and they are angry that someone else might possibly get slightly more of something. And that isn’t fair. Someone who has a fake job with almost no work and tries to find ways out of that even token tasks.
You are looking at two different tax systems. The effective US tax rate (the rate you actually pay is much much less). Our household makes $300k per year, and we have a $650k net worth. Our income taxes every year? Less than 7% of that, which is absurdly low. The ultra wealthy are taxed even less than that. The US is propped up by taxes from the middle-class because the more you makes, the easier it becomes to optimize and lower your effective tax rate. We need to tax the rich more.
If you make $579k, you don’t pay 37% of that. You pay the above rate for each range of dollars you earn. So everyone pays 10% on the first $11k they earn.
There’s also deductions including the standard deduction of $13,850 (so subtract that from what you earned)
California. Highest taxes in the US, yet we generate 14.2% of the country’s GDP despite being 11.7% of the population. We have an economy the size Germany (who has the world’s 4th largest economy) with 46.4% the population.
People talk shit about the state, how awful it is, etc, and while we do have many problems we’re doing pretty damn well all things considered. If we get housing and healthcare fixed (both active efforts by our government) we’ll be in an amazing position as a state.
I remember seeing this argument about billionaires and corporations leaving the US if they are taxed fairly at a national level. If that were the case then 1. The US wouldn’t lose out on revenue it wasn’t losing out on already, and 2. The “free market” or the government would adapt to fill the abandoned niche.
And anyplace worth living already has a higher tax rate anyway.
Massachusetts was already relatively high tax, high cost of living
Besides we would all be better off if people like that left. Human happiness levels off around 110k per year, on average in the US. If there really are people who would give up all the things that make normal people happy just to add a marginal amount to their net worth, do we really want them?
We have all unfortunately met someone like this. Someone who cuts the line at an all you can eat buffet. All the food you could possibly want and they are angry that someone else might possibly get slightly more of something. And that isn’t fair. Someone who has a fake job with almost no work and tries to find ways out of that even token tasks.
Let them leave.
Source on the 110k number? Because I remember reading something about 75k not that long ago and inflation couldn’t have been that bad could it?
Examples?
Western Europe
The average US rate is 25% while the average Western Europe rate is below 20%….
They even get more out of those taxes too.
You are looking at two different tax systems. The effective US tax rate (the rate you actually pay is much much less). Our household makes $300k per year, and we have a $650k net worth. Our income taxes every year? Less than 7% of that, which is absurdly low. The ultra wealthy are taxed even less than that. The US is propped up by taxes from the middle-class because the more you makes, the easier it becomes to optimize and lower your effective tax rate. We need to tax the rich more.
Ok, now what’s the top tax bracket? We’re talking about people making >$1M/yr.
They aren’t paying the highest marginal tax rates, that’s what the loopholes are for. Trusts are well known for this exact scenario.
Nice cop out.
Eh… be proud of the lower taxes and quality of life if you want I guess.
10% $0 to $11,000.
12% $11,001 to $44,725.
22% $44,726 to $95,375.
24% $95,376 to $182,100.
32% $182,101 to $231,250.
35% $231,251 to $578,125.
37% $578,126 or more.
If you make $579k, you don’t pay 37% of that. You pay the above rate for each range of dollars you earn. So everyone pays 10% on the first $11k they earn.
There’s also deductions including the standard deduction of $13,850 (so subtract that from what you earned)
Some good information: https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/taxes/federal-income-tax-brackets
Yes, I understand how marginal rates work.
The one we’re talking about is the state income tax:
5% - $0 to $1,000,000
9% - $1,000,000+
Neither of those numbers seems accurate. It’s not the “average” rate payer who is supposedly being chased off.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_rates_in_Europe
California. Highest taxes in the US, yet we generate 14.2% of the country’s GDP despite being 11.7% of the population. We have an economy the size Germany (who has the world’s 4th largest economy) with 46.4% the population.
People talk shit about the state, how awful it is, etc, and while we do have many problems we’re doing pretty damn well all things considered. If we get housing and healthcare fixed (both active efforts by our government) we’ll be in an amazing position as a state.
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