Wealthy Germans want to pay more tax...what?!

[ChrisJG777]

BBC News

Well, a small group of them anyway.  I still had to laugh though. 

Most of the time wealthy people are usually trying to get their taxes lowered.

[Jacobtm]

In Massachusetts they have the option to pay extra state taxes if they wish. I remember John Kerry decided not to...

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

In Massachusetts they have the option to pay extra state taxes if they wish.

I can't say whether it's good to do that, but I must say I like the idea...

And well, surprised by the decision of this group of wealthy Germans but it has to be noticed and applauded, they are not a lot to have signed though, and with the FDP on, not sure of the future of this initiative, good nevertheless. I'm hard pressed to imagine something like that in France...

[Vepres]

BBC News

Well, a small group of them anyway.  I still had to laugh though. 

Most of the time wealthy people are usually trying to get their taxes lowered.

I think the hyper-wealthy in the US are the same way. Democrats actually win the super rich by significant margins. I suspect it's because when you make tens of millions of dollars a year losing another few % point of that isn't going to affect your life much

[Sbane]

BBC News

Well, a small group of them anyway.  I still had to laugh though. 

Most of the time wealthy people are usually trying to get their taxes lowered.

I think the hyper-wealthy in the US are the same way. Democrats actually win the super rich by significant margins. I suspect it's because when you make tens of millions of dollars a year losing another few % point of that isn't going to affect your life much

I seriously doubt this. Cite?

[they don't love you like i love you]

It is funny that when Democrats propose raising taxes on the richest 1% all the whining comes from people who'll never be in the richest 1%, and the richest 1% generally don't care.

Say you make $1 million a year. You're paying 30% taxes. You take $700k a year. Your taxes are raised 10%. Now you get $600k a year. Wow, your life really has been horrifically altered.

[Marokai Backbeat]

It is funny that when Democrats propose raising taxes on the richest 1% all the whining comes from people who'll never be in the richest 1%, and the richest 1% generally don't care.

Say you make $1 million a year. You're paying 30% taxes. You take $700k a year. Your taxes are raised 10%. Now you get $600k a year. Wow, your life really has been horrifically altered.

YOU JUST WANT TO PUNISH SUCCESS

[phk]

I could be mistaken, but can't you actually make monetary gifts to the government?

[TeePee4Prez]

It is funny that when Democrats propose raising taxes on the richest 1% all the whining comes from people who'll never be in the richest 1%, and the richest 1% generally don't care.

Say you make $1 million a year. You're paying 30% taxes. You take $700k a year. Your taxes are raised 10%. Now you get $600k a year. Wow, your life really has been horrifically altered.

YOU JUST WANT TO PUNISH SUCCESS

Raising fists in anger... to lower YOUR taxes, but not mine.  And I love how FAIR Tax rallies are being potrayed as rock concerts.  Yeah....  it's amazing.

[they don't love you like i love you]

That's the most hilarious thing about the teabaggers. The vast majority of them aren't going to paying an extra dime because of Obama's policies yet they still rage at him as the next incarnation of Hitler.

And the point of my example above is that most people making over $1 million a year WOULDN'T care. Yet the teabaggers would rage furiously for some inexplicable reason.

[phk]

You can make monetary gifts to the US treasury.

http://www.fms.treas.gov/faq/moretopics_gifts.html

Interesting that people need a commitment mechanism in the form of tax rates to actually follow through.

[Vepres]

BBC News

Well, a small group of them anyway.  I still had to laugh though. 

Most of the time wealthy people are usually trying to get their taxes lowered.

I think the hyper-wealthy in the US are the same way. Democrats actually win the super rich by significant margins. I suspect it's because when you make tens of millions of dollars a year losing another few % point of that isn't going to affect your life much

I seriously doubt this. Cite?

http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2008/10/13/the-rich-support-mccain-the-super-rich-support-obama/

This was before election day, but it was close and the poll seems scientific. The "rich" favored McCain, but the "super rich" favored Obama by large margins. Taxes was one of the least important issue among the "super rich", with social issues, foreign policy, and health care significantly out pacing taxes.

[Vepres]

That's the most hilarious thing about the teabaggers. The vast majority of them aren't going to paying an extra dime because of Obama's policies yet they still rage at him as the next incarnation of Hitler.

And the point of my example above is that most people making over $1 million a year WOULDN'T care. Yet the teabaggers would rage furiously for some inexplicable reason.

This is precisely why, though I tend to be fiscally conservative, don't mind a progressive system.

BTW, CNN exit polls show those making over $200,000 a year supporting Obama by the exact same margin as the national popular vote. So clearly there is little correlation between tax policy and the voting patterns of the rich.

Now, they did favor Bush significantly over Kerry, but there could've been other factors in that.

[Sbane]

BBC News

Well, a small group of them anyway.  I still had to laugh though. 

Most of the time wealthy people are usually trying to get their taxes lowered.

I think the hyper-wealthy in the US are the same way. Democrats actually win the super rich by significant margins. I suspect it's because when you make tens of millions of dollars a year losing another few % point of that isn't going to affect your life much

I seriously doubt this. Cite?

http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2008/10/13/the-rich-support-mccain-the-super-rich-support-obama/

This was before election day, but it was close and the poll seems scientific. The "rich" favored McCain, but the "super rich" favored Obama by large margins. Taxes was one of the least important issue among the "super rich", with social issues, foreign policy, and health care significantly out pacing taxes.

Very interesting. I suppose it's not that surprising that the super wealthy would care more about a healthy society than taxes. Or as the article points out, they may just have the resources to avoid paying high taxes to begin with. The people who are most affected by the current tax regime are professionals who make about 300-400k (especially families with two professionals). They have worked hard and deserve to live a rich lifestyle but can't due to higher tax burdens. On the other hand the super rich just pass wealth from generation to generation and avoid paying taxes due to a million different loopholes.

[Tetro Kornbluth]

It is funny that when Democrats propose raising taxes on the richest 1% all the whining comes from people who'll never be in the richest 1%, and the richest 1% generally don't care.

Say you make $1 million a year. You're paying 30% taxes. You take $700k a year. Your taxes are raised 10%. Now you get $600k a year. Wow, your life really has been horrifically altered.

You seriously underestimate how much it matters to many rich egos not to pay tax. Leona Helmsley comes to mind.

[Ronnie]

You can make monetary gifts to the US treasury.

http://www.fms.treas.gov/faq/moretopics_gifts.html

Interesting that people need a commitment mechanism in the form of tax rates to actually follow through.

I can't believe they don't even make a tax deductable option.

[titaniumtux]

That's the most hilarious thing about the teabaggers. The vast majority of them aren't going to paying an extra dime because of Obama's policies yet they still rage at him as the next incarnation of Hitler.

And the point of my example above is that most people making over $1 million a year WOULDN'T care. Yet the teabaggers would rage furiously for some inexplicable reason.

Thanks to the bailout, Obama pretty much owns the banks now. Obama has by far more power than ideal. His power should be decentralized to better reflect the strengths of a federal republic like the USofA.

MDR at John Kerry. Most rich are not enthusiastic about paying more taxes AFAIK. Many expatriate and become citizens of Dominica. Most stay, however because they have their family, friends and other things nearby, but I'm sure they too would love to pay less taxes. If paying less taxes means they can afford more luxury, make it more affordable to send their kids to college, etc. who would turn that down?

[Sbane]

That's the most hilarious thing about the teabaggers. The vast majority of them aren't going to paying an extra dime because of Obama's policies yet they still rage at him as the next incarnation of Hitler.

And the point of my example above is that most people making over $1 million a year WOULDN'T care. Yet the teabaggers would rage furiously for some inexplicable reason.

MDR at John Kerry. Most rich are not enthusiastic about paying more taxes AFAIK. Many expatriate and become citizens of Dominica. Most stay, however because they have their family, friends and other things nearby, but I'm sure they too would love to pay less taxes. If paying less taxes means they can afford more luxury, make it more affordable to send their kids to college, etc. who would turn that down?

You really think the wealthy or even the rich have any problems sending their kids to college? That is a strictly middle class/poor problem that you seem to apply to the rich. Why? Do you even understand how wealthy some people are and how much wealth they control?

[titaniumtux]

Sure, but millionaires still want to own cruises and such while they pay their kids' tuition and then retire and buy a castle in France or Italy

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

Sure, but millionaires still want to own cruises and such while they pay their kids' tuition and then retire and buy a castle in France or Italy

Very small castles, yes, other than that most of castles here are in hands of public administration or of those who inherited this because they come of former nobility families.

It is funny that when Democrats propose raising taxes on the richest 1% all the whining comes from people who'll never be in the richest 1%, and the richest 1% generally don't care.

Say you make $1 million a year. You're paying 30% taxes. You take $700k a year. Your taxes are raised 10%. Now you get $600k a year. Wow, your life really has been horrifically altered.

You seriously underestimate how much it matters to many rich egos not to pay tax. Leona Helmsley comes to mind.

Yes, the whole very rich French class comes to my mind.

[opebo]

It is funny that when Democrats propose raising taxes on the richest 1% all the whining comes from people who'll never be in the richest 1%, and the richest 1% generally don't care.

Say you make $1 million a year. You're paying 30% taxes. You take $700k a year. Your taxes are raised 10%. Now you get $600k a year. Wow, your life really has been horrifically altered.

You seriously underestimate how much it matters to many rich egos not to pay tax. Leona Helmsley comes to mind.

Yes, the whole very rich French class comes to my mind.

Yes, because they accurately understand that 'being rich' is about power, not about a particular amount of money or any other imaginary factor like entrepreneurship or 'rights'.  Every time the rich pay a tax it is a concession to having less power (the original money being their power).  We powerless think 'oh, wouldn't it be nice to be able to live in luxury all day and never do anything', and understand that we can be just as luxuriously idle with a rentier income of 700K as 1 million, but they think 'if I pay that tax, it means those serfs are getting uppity, getting one over on me - my power is threatened'.

And of course they're right.

[Bunwahaha [still dunno why, but well, so be it]]

It is funny that when Democrats propose raising taxes on the richest 1% all the whining comes from people who'll never be in the richest 1%, and the richest 1% generally don't care.

Say you make $1 million a year. You're paying 30% taxes. You take $700k a year. Your taxes are raised 10%. Now you get $600k a year. Wow, your life really has been horrifically altered.

You seriously underestimate how much it matters to many rich egos not to pay tax. Leona Helmsley comes to mind.

Yes, the whole very rich French class comes to my mind.

Yes, because they accurately understand that 'being rich' is about power, not about a particular amount of money or any other imaginary factor like entrepreneurship or 'rights'.  Every time the rich pay a tax it is a concession to having less power (the original money being their power).  We powerless think 'oh, wouldn't it be nice to be able to live in luxury all day and never do anything', and understand that we can be just as luxuriously idle with a rentier income of 700K as 1 million, but they think 'if I pay that tax, it means those serfs are getting uppity, getting one over on me - my power is threatened'.

And of course they're right.

I kinda see the thing that way too for most of them.

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

In Massachusetts they have the option to pay extra state taxes if they wish. I remember John Kerry decided not to...

IIRC, the people who choose our optional 5.85% rate number in the hundreds.