Friday, October 16, 2009

Statistics on Paying Taxes

Here are some interesting statistics. In 2006, 0.7% of Canadian taxpayers paid 20.9% of the taxes. 23% of taxpayers paid 78% of the taxes. And 32% of taxpayers paid no income tax at all.

From a practical viewpoint, it means that politicians who call upon the wealthy to "pay their fair share" are populists of the ignorant or lying variety.

It also means that a political party can't win by calling for income tax cuts, because 32% of the electorate will see nothing in it for them, and 77% of the electorate will see little in it for them.

Economically it means the poor don't need tax cuts; they need an economy that generates better paying jobs. Someone who is making $10/hr and paying no taxes doesn't need a tax cut. He needs a job that pays $15/hr, of which $1/hr goes into taxes.

Finally, it means that we had better not lose too many of those 0.7% people to places that have lower tax rates.

3 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'd be interested in a source for these stats.

Assuming that such a great percentage of people are not paying income tax, they likely are paying a hidden tax, namely, inflation.

What's needed most of all, IMO, is sound money, not necessarily better paying jobs. It's the lower class and those on fixed incomes who are hit hardest by inflationary "tax."

From a Christian perspective, of course, sound money should be a no-brainer. In the OT, God called for just balances and weights.

-Joel

10:53 a.m.  
Blogger Shawn Abigail said...

The Calgary Herald:

http://communities.canada.com/calgaryherald/blogs/hannaford/archive/2009/04/17/30-per-cent-of-canadians-pay-no-tax-at-all.aspx

7:32 p.m.  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thanks, Shawn. Very interesting stats.

8:24 p.m.  

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