# Explain US Taxation

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-us-taxation/503612
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [July 20, 2009, 12:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-us-taxation/503612 "2009-07-20T12:09:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 1
**Showing post:** 44

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### Author: ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2009, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/explain-us-taxation/503612/44 "2009-07-20T20:52:24Z")

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Quoth **CookingWithGas** :

> [@](#):
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> 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** :

> [@](#):
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> 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.

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