88
votes
Why isn’t the tax system continuous rather than bracketed?
In most countries where this system is used, there is a level of continuity between brackets.
For example, in the United Kingdom, where the tax brackets are defined as follows:
0% up to £12,500
20% ...
- 28k
52
votes
Why isn’t the tax system continuous rather than bracketed?
You want people to be able to understand their tax returns. Addition and multiplication are hard enough; finding your place on a curve could involve square roots or (gasp) logarithms. Even some ...
- 116k
49
votes
Why isn’t the tax system continuous rather than bracketed?
(The original phrasing of the question seemed to indicate a common misconception of the way that the tax brackets work in the US and in many other countries, in thinking that one will lose money by ...
- 461
29
votes
Accepted
Can the US president unilaterally hurt Congress members financially?
Can he directly attack their pay check as members of Congress? No. It is not within the president's enumerated powers to confiscate, redirect, or withhold their pay check.
Can he engage the agencies ...
- 10.2k
28
votes
Can the US president unilaterally hurt Congress members financially?
First, a bit of background about how Congress gets its health care. Members of Congress and their staff used to receive their health insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefits program, ...
- 2,628
23
votes
Why isn’t the tax system continuous rather than bracketed?
Most tax system are continuous (or try to be continuous). Systems like the US system with tax brackets apply different tax rates to income within each bracket, but there is no penalty going from a ...
- 4,991
16
votes
Accepted
If Russia is funding right-wing politicians within the EU, why doesn't the EU return the favor and start funding Putin's opponents in Russia?
There are several points in your question which need to be separated.
First, this article you've linked asserts that there is a deliberate campaign from the Russian government which tries to ...
- 826
14
votes
Can the US president unilaterally hurt Congress members financially?
Apparently Health and Human Services makes the payments for Congressional health insurance. So it is possible that they may be able to stop making those payments (and this seems to be what he meant). ...
- 90.3k
13
votes
Why isn’t the tax system continuous rather than bracketed?
Lawmakers like to be able to set the marginal tax rates for different income groups independently of each other.
A politician who is negotiating an increase or decrease in taxes wants to be able to ...
13
votes
Has the UK government stated how Heathrow expansion will be financed?
Has the UK government stated how Heathrow expansion will be financed?
See Policy paper, Heathrow north-west runway economic regulation: financing and affordability explanatory briefing, Published 21 ...
- 9,081
8
votes
Accepted
Does the USPS post office lose $6 billion per year and require taxpayer bailouts every year?
Why does it need a bailout every year?
As usual with accounting, because the income is less than expenses. Specifically, expenses related to paying its liabilities.
Income is obvious - advent of ...
- 93.3k
8
votes
Why isn’t the tax system continuous rather than bracketed?
Look at the history of income taxes: until about twenty years ago, virtually everybody calculated their taxes using pencil and paper, possibly with the assistance of a calculator. Prior to the 1960s, ...
- 4,895
7
votes
Accepted
How does the government pay for large purchases?
While terms will vary by government and specific contract, progress payments are the typical means for financing expensive, long-term government projects.
Progress payments are periodic payments ...
- 36.6k
6
votes
Why isn’t the tax system continuous rather than bracketed?
The reason why stepped tax curves are used, rather than continuous, is because of mathematics, and a desire to keep things simple.
The amount of tax you will pay on your earnings is equal to the ...
- 4,950
4
votes
Why are payment processors politically inserting themselves into Internet police-dom?
Payment processing companies are businesses and have to square the fact that payments from a particular individual (or organisation) are making them money with the potential damage that processing ...
- 3,186
4
votes
What are the reasons behind China lifting foreign ownership limits on automakers?
Trump used tariffs to get Neo-Liberal policies in place with China, now, US and other nations can now take in 100% of the profits when manufacturing and selling cars in China whereas before they were ...
- 57
4
votes
What political aspects prevent land purchases in North America moving national borders?
Buying land is expensive. The question assumes that it will be more expensive than building the wall. If the wall is already contentious, why would land be easier?
Why would the United States want ...
- 90.3k
3
votes
Accepted
How would the cost for health insurance change in Germany, if 40% instead of 90% were part of statutory insurance?
It depends on what legislation affects the private sector.
Say the private sector can turn away people with genetic defects and the like, that is specifically those more likely to have larger ...
- 130
3
votes
Is the Heathrow expansion decision conditional upon private parties finding financing?
Yes, the airport's private owner, Heathrow Airport Limited, will apply to the government's Planning Inspectorate for an unusual kind of national planning consent called a Development Consent Order.
...
- 552
2
votes
Why are payment processors politically inserting themselves into Internet police-dom?
First of all, there is one important thing you need to keep in mind when talking about freedom of speech issues. Freedom of speech means that the state is not allowed to restrict speech. But this does ...
- 78.9k
2
votes
Has the UK government stated how Heathrow expansion will be financed?
Expecting private companies to finance a £26.5 billion infrastructure investment with no cost to taxpayers appears, to put it mildly, optimistic; it supposes the entire cost + financing can be met by ...
- 32k
2
votes
Does public spending involving religious organizations (i.e. the Church) follow the same transparency rules as for other public spending?
The UK has a notion of "Listed Buildings". These are buildings that are recognised as part of the national heritage. Generally, listed buildings can't be modified or destroyed. Any building ...
- 124k
1
vote
How is a political party funded? Solely based on donations less than $3300 (maximum allowed)?
Q: How is a political party funded?
Donations up to certain limits.
Contribution limits for 2023-2024 federal elections
RecipientDonor
Partycommittee:state/district/local
Party ...
- 36.6k
1
vote
Aukus deal. Was Australia called in to share ballooning development costs?
Almost Certainly Not
What leverage does the UK have over Australia that could cause them to act against their own self interest? - especially in terms of military readiness, where states tend to be at ...
- 2,668
1
vote
Why isn’t the tax system continuous rather than bracketed?
Actually some countries has had step-bracketed tax systems where the 'curve' isn't continuous. It was changed a long time ago especially to avoid the penalties when getting a raise and now it's ...
- 115
1
vote
Why are payment processors politically inserting themselves into Internet police-dom?
Why does this happen?
What motivates payment processors to decide to financially kill off people or brands that are making them money?
Isn't this business suicide.
Visa, Amazon, Patreon etc are ...
- 124k
1
vote
Has the UK government stated how Heathrow expansion will be financed?
Firstly, Heathrow is a private business. Its major shareholders are listed on that wiki page. According to the FT the plan is to raise that money through secured credit; £14bn is a lot, but given that ...
- 22.2k
Only top scored, non community-wiki answers of a minimum length are eligible