# Liberal Tax Myths

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421>\
**Category:** Great Debates\
**Created:** [February 26, 2013, 5:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421 "2013-02-26T05:54:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 2

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**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/21 "2013-02-26T16:37:04Z")

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> [@SenorBeef](#):
>
> It appears you’re sort of right. I remember [charts like this](http://www.usgovernmentspending.com/include/us_fed_debt_20c.png) but it appears that it only looks good in terms of debt to gdp ratio, rather than absolute debt. Still, taxation rates were at historic highs in the post war period, weren’t they? The deficits instantly vanished despite the need to pay back war bonds. But I guess I interpreted it incorrectly - is it just because the economy grew so much that the debt picture as a whole looked good?

I’d say the good times were rollin’ back then. The deficits were small, there were even some surpluses, the economy was booming since American gooods were needed to rebuild Europe and provide for the baby explosion, ex-GIs were buying cars and houses. Not sure what would have happened if the Republicans of the 1950s acted like the GOP of 1937 and the GOP of 2013, but I believe there would have been a wet blanket thrown on the fire.

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**Author:** ![Kepler1571](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@Kepler1571](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kepler1571)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/22 "2013-02-26T17:00:30Z")

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> [@IceQube](#):
>
> Although the highest marginal tax rate may be have been 91% in the Eisenhower/Kennedy years, only 250 or so households were actually taxed at this rate. Plus no one paid 91% because of the various “loopholes” or deductions available, which decreased the effective rate to less than 50%. Therefore, the 91% tax rate is a liberal fantasy. It might have been 91% on paper, but in reality it is about half.

This actually seems to be the rule, since today’s top rate is supposed to be 36% but the super rich are paying roughly half that with their loopholes.

You are making a good argument to raise the rate back to 91%, in order to realize an effective rate of maybe 45% or so.

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**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/23 "2013-02-26T17:36:27Z")

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_My_ liberal fantasy is nothing like the OP. Instead, it involves several select SIDA volunteers and a coconut oil project on a remote tropical island.

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**Author:** ![BrainGlutton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/82dd89/32.png) [@BrainGlutton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrainGlutton)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/24 "2013-02-26T18:07:17Z")

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> [@Kimstu](#):
>
> You can argue that economic inequality isn’t a bad thing . . .

Not plausibly.

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**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/25 "2013-02-26T19:04:56Z")

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> [@BobLibDem](#):
>
> [They didn’t pay off shit.](http://home.adelphi.edu/sbloch/deficits.html)  
> Debt after FY 45-46: $269.4 billion  
> Debt after FY 53-54: $271.3 billion
> 
> If few people actually paid the top marginal rate, it’s the conservative bubble that bursts, not the liberal one. The conservative orthodoxy that high marginal rates are killing growth is burst by the fact that few people pay it. Similarly, the conservative orthodoxy that high corporate tax rates are job-killers is debunked by the fact that there are so many loopholes that many huge corporations pay no tax at all.

Nah. Firstly, Obama and Co. are talking about raising marginal rates on a much larger chunk than actually paid these top marginal rates back in the day. Secondly, lowering the corporate tax rate isn’t designed to help “huge corporations” it’s to help businesses that can’t exploit loopholes and level the playing field between the GE’s of the world and smaller local businesses in regards to taxation.

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**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/26 "2013-02-26T19:15:49Z")

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> [@Kimstu](#):
>
> The percentage of total federal tax revenues being paid by the rich is kind of a red herring, because it disguises the issue of their effective tax **rate**.
> 
> If the richest people have a disproportionate share of the wealth and income, then naturally they’re going to pay a disproportionate share of the total tax revenue. But that does not mean that they are being disproportionately **burdened** by taxation.
> 
> And yes, when wealthy people have lower effective tax rates, they get wealthier faster, and consequently accumulate more of the total national wealth, and that increases economic inequality. You can argue that economic inequality isn’t a bad thing, but you can’t really argue that lowering effective tax rates on the wealthiest doesn’t conduce to economic inequality.

Where did I say they were being disproportionately burdened? I said the The Wealthy in the 50s pay a similar amount of taxes,in terms of percentage of total revenues, as The Wealthy today. Many “liberals” today would tell you that The Wealthy aren’t paying their fair share. If this is true The Wealthy didn’t pay their fair share in the 50s either. This total also ignore state income taxes, sales taxes, etc.

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**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/27 "2013-02-26T19:18:32Z")

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> [@Lobohan](#):
>
> I saw a brief interview with a woman who said she was going to take time off so she didn’t hit the 250k number. So she thought that hitting 250k means that all her income is taxed at the higher rate.
> 
> My father in law thinks the same thing. It’s just a stupid bit of misinformation that many people share.

Its pretty simple, Republicans lie about taxes. They had my very intelligent sister believing that our mother was going to be hit by the “death tax” before I explained to her that this wasn’t true because of the exemption. I literally had to remind her that I was a tax lawyer before she stopped saying “but Fox News said…”

> [@Hentor\_the\_Barbarian](#):
>
> I just went to look at the history of federal debt, thinking about the assertion that revenues under the top marginal rate went to paying down the debt. I was struck by something I read on Wikipedia. It said that debt reached a low under Nixon, but increased consistently since then, except under Carter and Clinton.
> 
> That strikes me as a really odd and misleading way to phrase that .

A lot of that is affected by military spending.

> [@Kepler1571](#):
>
> This actually seems to be the rule, since today’s top rate is supposed to be 36% but the super rich are paying roughly half that with their loopholes.
> 
> You are making a good argument to raise the rate back to 91%, in order to realize an effective rate of maybe 45% or so.

The top marginal rate really shouldn’t be more than 50%. Once the marginal rate exceeds 50% you can plan your investments so that your marginal rate doesn’t exceed 50%, you simply donate half your investment profits to shelter the income on the other half of your investment profits. It would be great for the ivy league schools, the ballet, opera and shit like that but it doesn’t bring in much more tax revenues.

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**Author:** ![Empire\_State](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Empire\_State](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Empire_State)\
**Post date:** [February 26, 2013, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/28 "2013-02-26T22:21:32Z")

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> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#):
>
> The top marginal rate really shouldn’t be more than 50%. Once the marginal rate exceeds 50% you can plan your investments so that your marginal rate doesn’t exceed 50%, you simply donate half your investment profits to shelter the income on the other half of your investment profits. It would be great for the ivy league schools, the ballet, opera and shit like that but it doesn’t bring in much more tax revenues.

Wouldn’t this be as easy to resolve as placing a cap on tax deductions for charitable donations? Tax code doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and I don’t believe that we can never have enough revenue in this country again because of a loophole.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Kepler1571](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/db5fbb/32.png) [@Kepler1571](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kepler1571)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/29 "2013-02-27T05:33:32Z")

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> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#):
>
> The top marginal rate really shouldn’t be more than 50%. Once the marginal rate exceeds 50% you can plan your investments so that your marginal rate doesn’t exceed 50%, you simply donate half your investment profits to shelter the income on the other half of your investment profits. It would be great for the ivy league schools, the ballet, opera and shit like that but it doesn’t bring in much more tax revenues.

Actually, I kind of like all that stuff. 😛

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**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/30 "2013-02-27T14:22:31Z")

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> [@WillFarnaby](#):
>
> I said the The Wealthy in the 50s pay a similar amount of taxes,in terms of percentage of total revenues, as The Wealthy today. Many “liberals” today would tell you that The Wealthy aren’t paying their fair share. If this is true The Wealthy didn’t pay their fair share in the 50s either.

I believe this has been pointed out already, but here we go again. If the wealthy have a higher percent of the income, but pay the same percentage of the taxes, then the relative tax burden has changed.

Let’s reverse the situation. Let’s say that in the 50’s, the top quintile earned 80% of the income and paid 80% of the taxes. Then, fast forward to the 2010s and let’s pretend that income inequality has actually _decreased_ instead of increased. So now, the top quintile earns 50% of the income, but _still_ pays 80% of the taxes.

If it was fair in the 50s, that means it’s still fair today. Do you agree?

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**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/31 "2013-02-27T16:35:08Z")

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> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#):
>
> The top marginal rate really shouldn’t be more than 50%. Once the marginal rate exceeds 50% you can plan your investments so that your marginal rate doesn’t exceed 50%, you simply donate half your investment profits to shelter the income on the other half of your investment profits. It would be great for the ivy league schools, the ballet, opera and shit like that but it doesn’t bring in much more tax revenues.

You may be under a misunderstanding on how tax deductions work. Let me give you a simple example: The tax rate is 60%. You earn $100. If you give $50 to charity then you pay $30 in tax. Your income statement looks like this:

Income: 100 a  
Less charitable deductions: (50) b  
Taxable income: 50 c = a - b  
Taxes: 30 d = c\*60%  
After-tax income: 20

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/32 "2013-02-27T18:34:54Z")

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> [@Evil\_Economist](#):
>
> You may be under a misunderstanding on how tax deductions work. Let me give you a simple example: The tax rate is 60%. You earn $100. If you give $50 to charity then you pay $30 in tax. Your income statement looks like this:
> 
> Income: 100 a  
> Less charitable deductions: (50) b  
> Taxable income: 50 c = a - b  
> Taxes: 30 d = c\*60%  
> After-tax income: 20

My formatting above is a mess, let me try explaining my point verbally: charitable donations are deductable against income, not against taxes. If you donate money to charity you don’t have to pay taxes on the donated income, but you still have to pay taxes on all other income. I.e., if you earn $100 and give $30 to charity you pay the same taxes as someone who earned $70.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/33 "2013-02-27T19:57:45Z")

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> [@Empire\_State](#):
>
> Wouldn’t this be as easy to resolve as placing a cap on tax deductions for charitable donations? Tax code doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and I don’t believe that we can never have enough revenue in this country again because of a loophole.

Hrmm. Actually. now that you mention it. They did this already so forget that comment.

We can have plenty of revenue without a 91% marginal tax rate. Bill Clinton did it with a 39.6% top marginal tax rate. I don’t think we need a top marginal tax rate above 50% and I think that you might start harming the economy if you get much higher than that.

> [@Kepler1571](#):
>
> Actually, I kind of like all that stuff. 😛

Would you forego funding the foodstamp program for them?

> [@Evil\_Economist](#):
>
> You may be under a misunderstanding on how tax deductions work. Let me give you a simple example: The tax rate is 60%. You earn $100. If you give $50 to charity then you pay $30 in tax. Your income statement looks like this:
> 
> Income: 100 a  
> Less charitable deductions: (50) b  
> Taxable income: 50 c = a - b  
> Taxes: 30 d = c\*60%  
> After-tax income: 20

> [@Evil\_Economist](#):
>
> My formatting above is a mess, let me try explaining my point verbally: charitable donations are deductable against income, not against taxes. If you donate money to charity you don’t have to pay taxes on the donated income, but you still have to pay taxes on all other income. I.e., if you earn $100 and give $30 to charity you pay the same taxes as someone who earned $70.

It was largely accomplished through the donation of appreciated property. So lets say you have 100 shares of stock that is worth $10/share. You paid $0.01 per share for the stock. So you donate half the shares and sell the other half. Here is what happens: You get a tax deduction for $500 (50 shares times the $10 market value of the stock), you recognize $499.50 profit when you sell your other 50 shares. The $500 deduction offsets your income. I hope that makes sense.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Evil\_Economist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c89c15/32.png) [@Evil\_Economist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Economist)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 8:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/34 "2013-02-27T20:06:12Z")

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> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#):
>
> It was largely accomplished through the donation of appreciated property. So lets say you have 100 shares of stock that is worth $10/share. You paid $0.01 per share for the stock. So you donate half the shares and sell the other half. Here is what happens: You get a tax deduction for $500 (50 shares times the $10 market value of the stock), you recognize $499.50 profit when you sell your other 50 shares. The $500 deduction offsets your income. I hope that makes sense.

Ahh, yes, that would work. OK, I withdraw my objection.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\
**Post date:** [February 27, 2013, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/35 "2013-02-27T20:40:54Z")

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> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#):
>
> It was largely accomplished through the donation of appreciated property. So lets say you have 100 shares of stock that is worth $10/share. You paid $0.01 per share for the stock. So you donate half the shares and sell the other half. Here is what happens: You get a tax deduction for $500 (50 shares times the $10 market value of the stock), you recognize $499.50 profit when you sell your other 50 shares. The $500 deduction offsets your income. I hope that makes sense.

That seems like a correctable (for lack of a better word) situation. The shares that were donated also generated a $499.50 profit; is any tax paid on that by anyone? He didn’t sell the shares and convert them to $500, but he gave them away in a manner that was equivalent to $500. Seems to me that the profit (in total) should be $999.00, minus the $500.00 donation, pay tax on the $499.00 that he kept.

I wouldn’t necessarily make that change to the tax code in isolation of all other factors. It’s just that with all the brouhaha over rates, it seems the real crux of the matter is in how we define “income”. If we had that sorted out, it might be easier to decide what rates would be reasonable.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![WillFarnaby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/willfarnaby/32/514_2.png) [@WillFarnaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WillFarnaby)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/36 "2013-02-28T02:01:18Z")

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> [@Ludovic](#):
>
> I believe this has been pointed out already, but here we go again. If the wealthy have a higher percent of the income, but pay the same percentage of the taxes, then the relative tax burden has changed.
> 
> Let’s reverse the situation. Let’s say that in the 50’s, the top quintile earned 80% of the income and paid 80% of the taxes. Then, fast forward to the 2010s and let’s pretend that income inequality has actually _decreased_ instead of increased. So now, the top quintile earns 50% of the income, but _still_ pays 80% of the taxes.
> 
> If it was fair in the 50s, that means it’s still fair today. Do you agree?

You’re example isn’t what happened. Their share of total income rose, and their share of the tax burden rose by a proportionate amount.

To use your example, suppose the top quintile earned 80% and paid 80% of taxes, then 50 years later, they earned 50% and they paid 50% of the taxes. Id say that the rich shoulder a similar burden in both time periods.

the actual numbers are:

1958: 14.7 of income earned by top 3%/ 29.2% of taxes came from 3%

2010: 27.2% of income earned by top 3%/ 51% of taxes came from 3%

Their share of total income rose by 85% but their share of income taxes paid also increased by almost as much, 75%. So basically, the liberal argument that, in the past, we relied more heavily on the rich for our tax revenue falls flat in my opinion.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![brickbacon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@brickbacon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brickbacon)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/37 "2013-02-28T02:38:11Z")

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> [@WillFarnaby](#):
>
> So basically, the liberal argument that, in the past, we relied more heavily on the rich for our tax revenue falls flat in my opinion.

Wouldn’t you need to look at _total tax revenue_ as opposed to _income tax revenue_ to make that sort of statement?

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**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/38 "2013-02-28T03:55:13Z")

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> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> That seems like a correctable (for lack of a better word) situation. The shares that were donated also generated a $499.50 profit; is any tax paid on that by anyone? He didn’t sell the shares and convert them to $500, but he gave them away in a manner that was equivalent to $500. Seems to me that the profit (in total) should be $999.00, minus the $500.00 donation, pay tax on the $499.00 that he kept.
> 
> I wouldn’t necessarily make that change to the tax code in isolation of all other factors. It’s just that with all the brouhaha over rates, it seems the real crux of the matter is in how we define “income”. If we had that sorted out, it might be easier to decide what rates would be reasonable.

It may be “correctable” but it may also be a case where we don’t want it corrected. Its this kind of thing that keeps charitable organizations funded when they are funded by the wealthy.

Or, as Kepler points out “I kind of like that stuff.”

It may actually be of benefit to our national discretionary spending and the conservative agenda - if the wealthy are encourage to “donate down” to a 50% bracket - and choose to donate to arts organizations - the NEA might not need to be funded. If they donate to Health and Human Services charities, the need for the government in those space may shrink. It may, in fact, be the best possible compromise for “raising taxes” and “cutting the unnecessary spending” (which doesn’t have that much budgetary impact, but if we can stop bringing up Robert Maplethorpe and Big Bird during every budget cycle, it might keep me from wondering if the record has a scratch in it.\_

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 4:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/39 "2013-02-28T04:02:34Z")

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> [@Robot\_Arm](#):
>
> That seems like a correctable (for lack of a better word) situation. The shares that were donated also generated a $499.50 profit; is any tax paid on that by anyone? He didn’t sell the shares and convert them to $500, but he gave them away in a manner that was equivalent to $500. Seems to me that the profit (in total) should be $999.00, minus the $500.00 donation, pay tax on the $499.00 that he kept.
> 
> I wouldn’t necessarily make that change to the tax code in isolation of all other factors. It’s just that with all the brouhaha over rates, it seems the real crux of the matter is in how we define “income”. If we had that sorted out, it might be easier to decide what rates would be reasonable.

Sure you can fix it by telling people that donating $500 will trigger a tax on $499 of that donation. It would do wonders for the charitable world. Appreciated property is the form that a lot of wealthier people make their charitable donations (at least back when the capital gains rate was 28%, I’m not sure wtf happens these days).

> [@WillFarnaby](#):
>
> You’re example isn’t what happened. Their share of total income rose, and their share of the tax burden rose by a proportionate amount.
> 
> To use your example, suppose the top quintile earned 80% and paid 80% of taxes, then 50 years later, they earned 50% and they paid 50% of the taxes. Id say that the rich shoulder a similar burden in both time periods.
> 
> the actual numbers are:
> 
> 1958: 14.7 of income earned by top 3%/ 29.2% of taxes came from 3%
> 
> 2010: 27.2% of income earned by top 3%/ 51% of taxes came from 3%
> 
> Their share of total income rose by 85% but their share of income taxes paid also increased by almost as much, 75%. So basically, the liberal argument that, in the past, we relied more heavily on the rich for our tax revenue falls flat in my opinion.

That hardly seems progressive.

> [@brickbacon](#):
>
> Wouldn’t you need to look at _total tax revenue_ as opposed to _income tax revenue_ to make that sort of statement?

And corporate tax revenues as well. Corporate tax revenues basically fell off the chart.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\
**Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 6:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/liberal-tax-myths/651421/40 "2013-02-28T06:31:27Z")

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> [@Damuri\_Ajashi](#):
>
> Sure you can fix it by telling people that donating $500 will trigger a tax on $499 of that donation. It would do wonders for the charitable world. Appreciated property is the form that a lot of wealthier people make their charitable donations (at least back when the capital gains rate was 28%, I’m not sure wtf happens these days).

True, and I don’t want to dry up the private funding for truly worthwhile causes, but consider how it affects the statistics as well. To use the numbers from your own example, we have someone who pocketed a profit of $499.50, yet his taxable income appears to be $0. Suppose he made another $500 in salary somewhere, and paid $250 in tax. That looks like he’s paying 50%, but he’s ending the year with $749.50 more than he started. Instead of a crushing 50%, he’s paying more like 25%.

His situation looks a lot different depending on how you do the math.

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