Probably one of the most insightful articles on why governments have such a hard time during recessions – they tax the rich so much that when the rich’s income varies, so does the revenue of the government.
The summary is that they have relied too much on the rich to provide too much of their revenue base. Since the rich have the most volatile incomes of anyone in the nation, during a recession, their incomes are likely to drop much, much more than those who are not rich. Since many now don’t even pay income taxes, when the rich lose their incomes, governments are left hurting for income. The solution, in part, is to expand the revenue base into those groups who have traditionally not paid income taxes.
Worth reading.
Bill English, Publisher
Bible and Business
