# The Firefly Challenge: Prove 40% tax rate! **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [February 8, 2000, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-firefly-challenge-prove-40-tax-rate/17904 "2000-02-08T14:21:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![UncleBeer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/977dab/32.png) [@UncleBeer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UncleBeer)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2000, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-firefly-challenge-prove-40-tax-rate/17904/101 "2000-02-11T22:48:00Z")
Yeah, I think you proved your point there, RTF. Since most of the sites (and cites) I found claimed around 36 to 38 percent which does add up when you consider they were tacking on an additional 7.65% for the employer’s matching SS contribution. All that said though, I think 30% is a pretty steep price to pay for the scandal, inefficiency, corruption and interference it pays for. ---
**Author:** ![Scylla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@Scylla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scylla)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2000, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-firefly-challenge-prove-40-tax-rate/17904/102 "2000-02-11T23:16:00Z")
Yes, but doesn’t the average American Smoke a carton of cigarettes, two fifths of Vodka, and drive 150 miles each way to work? Once you factor that in, it’s well over 40% Gimme the money! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2000, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-firefly-challenge-prove-40-tax-rate/17904/103 "2000-02-11T23:23:00Z")
Unc - that’s a reasonable point of view. I disagree, of course: I’m paying for defense, roads, colleges, libraries, public lands - all sorts of things that I’ve drawn immense benefit and pleasure from, and that I would have been hard pressed to buy retail for the same sort of bucks. But at least now we’re arguing over a _real_ 30%, as opposed to a chimerical 40-47%. It’s easier to argue about the matters of differing opinion if at least we agree on the underlying facts. Well, this has been fun, but exhausting. I’m off for a beer. Have a good weekend! ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2000, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-firefly-challenge-prove-40-tax-rate/17904/104 "2000-02-11T23:45:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Yes, but doesn’t the average American Smoke a carton of cigarettes, two fifths of Vodka, and drive 150 miles each way to work? You bet, Scylla, and the drive is uphill both ways! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2000, 11:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-firefly-challenge-prove-40-tax-rate/17904/105 "2000-02-12T11:42:00Z")
> [@](#): > > I hereby declare my $50 safe. Not so fast. By your own fantastical calculations, you only get to keep $35.35 of it. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2000, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-firefly-challenge-prove-40-tax-rate/17904/106 "2000-04-08T22:46:00Z")
Well, I _was_ estimating high, anytime I didn’t have the facts on hand. For instance, I guesstimated the gasoline tax at 50¢/gallon; it’s actually more like 18¢. Besides, as this [Washington Post story](http://search.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/WPlate/2000-03/26/255l-032600-idx.html) spells out, most Americans pay less than 10% of their income in Federal income taxes. So if their **overall** tax burden is substantially higher, either (a) they’re earning considerably more money than most of us (and this debate was about the taxes that ‘most of us’ pay, so that’s beside the point), or (b) other taxes are the real culprit. But (excepting the estate tax, which impacts almost none of us), the income tax is the one that everybody tries to cut. So if the crushing burden is from elsewhere, they’re barking up the wrong tree. * * * “Love flies out the door when money comes innuendo.” - Marx ---
**Author:** ![Danielinthewolvesden](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Danielinthewolvesden](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Danielinthewolvesden)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2000, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-firefly-challenge-prove-40-tax-rate/17904/107 "2000-04-09T01:16:00Z")
Of the 40 industrialized Nations, the US of A ranks 39th in overall tax burden. Turkey ranks 40th. So the answer is clear, to all you tax whiners- move to Turkey, you turkeys… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-firefly-challenge-prove-40-tax-rate/17904.md?page=5)