It’s only regressive when framed as a tax on consumers - which is of course easier to do in a ridiculous country that allows retailers to advertise prices without all the retailer’s costs included.
A properly organised VAT type tax is not regressive - it’s a tax on corporations that buy product for cents and then sell them on for dollars, pocketing the difference. I’ve no idea why sales taxes bring out this “but won’t somebody think of the corporations!” handwringing.
I really enjoy your snarky tone, but can you explain how any consumption tax regardless of labeling are not regressive when poor people consume a lot more of their income than people with people with higher incomes? Sure you can mitigate this by only taxing x products or offering rebates to poor folk. But it just seems like it is inherent to the system.
It seems to me that progressive income taxes, direct taxes on profits of corporations, wealth taxes, and the like are much better targeted and don’t harm the poorest among us. But I’m from a “ridiculous country” so what do I know?
It’s only regressive when framed as a tax on consumers - which is of course easier to do in a ridiculous country that allows retailers to advertise prices without all the retailer’s costs included.
A properly organised VAT type tax is not regressive - it’s a tax on corporations that buy product for cents and then sell them on for dollars, pocketing the difference. I’ve no idea why sales taxes bring out this “but won’t somebody think of the corporations!” handwringing.
I really enjoy your snarky tone, but can you explain how any consumption tax regardless of labeling are not regressive when poor people consume a lot more of their income than people with people with higher incomes? Sure you can mitigate this by only taxing x products or offering rebates to poor folk. But it just seems like it is inherent to the system.
It seems to me that progressive income taxes, direct taxes on profits of corporations, wealth taxes, and the like are much better targeted and don’t harm the poorest among us. But I’m from a “ridiculous country” so what do I know?