Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site ukma.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ukma!plh From: plh@ukma.UUCP (Paul L. Hightower) Newsgroups: net.politics.theory Subject: Re: Marriage penalty Message-ID: <1144@ukma.UUCP> Date: Tue, 5-Mar-85 10:38:47 EST Article-I.D.: ukma.1144 Posted: Tue Mar 5 10:38:47 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 7-Mar-85 03:46:56 EST References: <501@homxb.UUCP>, <1405@ut-ngp.UUCP> Organization: Univ. of KY Mathematical Sciences Lines: 29 >Let's put the question another way: > >Why should two people living together without the >formality of marriage pay less taxes than a formally >married couple? > >Whether the question is put this way, or the way it >was phrased in previous questions, it is not always true. >If two people are living together, not married, >but one earns all the income, then they would pay >more taxes than if they were married! > >Can anyone suggest a solution which would not have any >inequities. > >Herman Silbiger The marriage tax (or its alternative, the singles tax) is a feature of any progressive tax structure. A flat tax solves the problem : if a couple earns $40,000 a year, they pay the same tax as any other couple or individual earning $40,000 a year. Note that it is mathematically impossible to have a progressive tax which: 1) Taxes all couples with the same income at the same rate; and 2) Taxes all individuals with the same income at the same rate, regardless of whether they are part of a couple or not. Paul Hightower University of Kentucky