this post was submitted on 31 Jan 2025
26 points (81.0% liked)

Explain Like I'm Five

14655 readers
161 users here now

Simplifying Complexity, One Answer at a Time!

Rules

  1. Be respectful and inclusive.
  2. No harassment, hate speech, or trolling.
  3. Engage in constructive discussions.
  4. Share relevant content.
  5. Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
  6. Use appropriate language and tone.
  7. Report violations.
  8. Foster a continuous learning environment.

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
Rikudou_Sage
[email protected]
sabbah
AradFort
Don_Dickle
26
ELI5 What would happen short term if the US got rid of income taxes and went to a flat rate? What would be the long term outcome? (self.explainlikeimfive)
submitted 1 day ago by Patnou to c/explainlikeimfive
19 comments fedilink hide all child comments
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] MegaUltraChicken 20 points 22 hours ago (2 children)

Mississippi is planning on doing something like that soon.

I think "don't do what Mississippi does" pretty much answers this question.

[–] over_clox 7 points 22 hours ago

I have to agree with you, our politicians aren't exactly the sharpest eggs in the attic.

[–] BussyCat 3 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Washington state has also never had an income tax and uses sales tax but makes many essential items tax free to try and be less of a burden on the poor

[–] thebigslime 1 points 2 hours ago (1 children)

Yeah and it's stupid and regressive as fuck.

[–] BussyCat 1 points 1 hour ago

It can be less regressive depending how it’s done. Poor people spend much larger percentages of their income on essentials like food, clothing (non luxury), and rent which can all be made tax free. It can then actually tax people who do things like take out massive loans to cover their expenses while not technically earning an income.