Path 2

News Taxes Thursday, Nov 3 2011

Des Moines Register: Michele Bachmann’s ‘tax the poor’ plan won’t be flat or simple

Nov 03, 2011

On November 3, 2011, the Des Moines Register reported:

Michele Bachmann wants everybody to pay taxes — even the poorest Americans.

[…]

She said she’s the only candidate in the race who believes everyone needs to pay something.

Bachmann, in a tax policy speech at Iowa State University, said even if someone can only afford to pay $10, they should have to pay to avoid a “dependency mentality.”

Bachmann didn’t offer many details about her proposal, but it seemed she was suggesting she’d accomplish this through the income tax. But she didn’t explain how she’d charge an income tax on people who have no income.

Most people who owe no income tax — an estimated 47 percent of Americans –  have some income. Most escape having to send a check on tax day because the standard deduction and personal exemption, among other tax breaks and benefits. The students she was speaking to at Iowa State pay payroll taxes on their part-time and summer jobs, but most probably avoid having to file a return.

Read the full article here.


Published: Nov 3, 2011

Jump to Content