The Guardian posts the following headline:
British public wrongly believe rich pay most in tax, new research shows
The clear implication that the rich don't pay the most in taxes. Now you and I know full well that when we say "more" we mean the amount that is asked for. If I get charged 20k for a car that you pay 10k for. Then I have paid more than you for the car. The math is clear 20K > 10K. But that's not actually what the Guardian is saying.
The poorest 10% of households pay eight percentage points more of their income in all taxes than the richest – 43% compared to 35%, according to a report from the Equality Trust.
Oh, you mean as a percentage of income. Well that's an entirely different argument. We can extend that argument too. How about the poorest households pay more, as a percent of income, for food, clothes, well everything that has a cost associated with it, than anybody else. By that measure, the poor are screwed aren't they?
But as taxes go, if I have 1 million Pounds and I pay 35% of that in taxes, then I put in 350,000 Pounds in the state coffers. However; if I have 10,000 Pounds and I pay 43% of that in taxes, then I put in 4300 Pounds into the coffers. Nowhere near what the rich me would be paying. So what's the solution to all this "inequality" of burden?
The survey of more than 1,000 people also found a strong majority – 96% – believe that the tax system should be more progressive than is currently the case.
Ahh "progressive" which means of course, you tax the wealthy at a higher rate than those who are not so wealthy. If you want to do that, have at it. Just don't lead a story with the wrong facts about who is actually paying more cause really though, the rich are paying more than the poor.
The public isn't wrong.
