# progressive tax, by eighths **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 6, 2009, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/progressive-tax-by-eighths/484763 "2009-02-06T23:38:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/progressive-tax-by-eighths/484763/21 "2009-02-11T22:41:15Z")
OK, here’s a bracketless, marginless form. _agi = your adjusted gross income lym = last year’s [del]mean[/del] median agi_ (I’m switching to median & I still think it’ll come out low) 1 - (7/8)[sup](log[sub]8[/sub][8\*agi / lym])[/sup] This is a lot harder to compute. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/progressive-tax-by-eighths/484763/22 "2009-02-11T23:06:49Z")
Using the smooth function: 1a. agi = \_ 125,000: tax = \_ $15,625. 2a. agi = \_ 250,000: tax = ~ $43,125 (which is not exactly right, but close) 3a. agi = \_ 500,000: tax = ~$100,000 (actually a little more, but close) 4a. agi = 1,000,000: tax = \_$233,000 5a. agi = \_ \_15,625: tax = \_$0 6a. agi = \_ \_62,500: tax = \_ ~$5,960 (approx) The smooth function gives rebates on low incomes as well, though pretty small ones. 7a. agi = $7,812: rebate = $368 (4.71%) 8a. agi = \_ \_ $1: rebate = \_ $1.81 (which makes this a pretty sad negative income tax for the disabled) Using a bracketed function as follows: _\_ \_ first $15,625 tax free \_ next $109,375 @ 12.5% \_ next $875,000 @ 23.4% next $7,000,000 @ 33.0% next $56,000,000 @ 41.4% etc._ 1b. agi = \_ 125,000: tax = $12,547. 2b. agi = \_ 250,000: tax = $41,797 3b. agi = \_ 500,000: tax = $100,297 4b. agi = 1,000,000: tax = $217,297 5b. agi = \_ \_15,625: tax = \_$0 6b. agi = \_ \_62,500: tax = \_ $5,859 I haven’t decided how to handle incomes below $15,625. ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2009, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/progressive-tax-by-eighths/484763/23 "2009-02-11T23:08:54Z")
Running those numbers, I think I may go to fifths instead of eighths, get a steeper curve. If I keep eighths, I think I’d have to make the baseline below the median, since I’m not trying to make this a massive revenue cut. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/progressive-tax-by-eighths/484763.md?page=1)