Explain US Taxation

[Chronos]

Quoth CookingWithGas:

Now the only ones who still pay federal taxes without representation are the 600,000 people who live in our nation’s capital.

I have three members of Congress (Senate and House) representing my interests. A citizen of the District of Columbia has 535 members of Congress representing his interests. The problem is actually that the capital is over-represented, not under-represented, and the lack of representation specifically dedicated to the capital is are partial solution to that problem.

Quoth dracoi:

In the last election cycle, many of the promised “tax cuts” were in fact refundable credits intended for people who don’t pay tax in the first place. (40% of tax return filers don’t pay ANY income tax under the current system).

40% of filers don’t pay anything that’s called “income tax”, but they do still pay “payroll tax”, which amounts to the same thing.