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Comment by rorykoehler | Hacker News Reader

I want for nothing.

Edit: I just want you be clear here. I think the tax rate is way too high even at 25% effective tax rate. The system is overburdening poor people no doubt about it but I also think we should not fudge the numbers by claiming we pay the top tax band rates as effective rate because it invalidates whatever else we say after that. It’s dishonest. IMO effective tax rate should be <5% and actually 0% for most of us.

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As I wrote somewhere, most middle class people people in Europe pay way more than 25%, the average in Denmark being 45%. With payroll tax it would be more like 55%, and it really makes no sense NOT to count payroll taxes.

And 5% is not realistic, even if you eliminate all the pork, corruption and inefficiencies. You can't provide education and healthcare and maintain infrastructure for 5%.

I hate paying taxes but 20% would definitely not feel unreasonable for all those things, I'd pay that happily.

You get the money from other places than income tax on the poor

The poor are already an insignificant tax base, I thought you meant 5% for the middle class.

Middle class are the richer cohort of working class but they are still poor. We have a capitalist system. Unless you don’t have to trade time for money (ie are wealthy) you are poor. You might have a nice lifestyle but you have zero flexibility and options.

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