[emphasis added by OP]

The Income Tax System is Broken

43 Percent Of Americans Pay No Federal Income Tax, A Sign That Something's Wrong, Writes Declan McCullagh

April 15, 2009 | by Declan McCullagh

(CBS) On April 15, don't be surprised if the line at your local post office is a bit shorter than usual. That's because your neighbors may not be paying any income taxes this year.

An astonishing 43.4 percent of Americans now pay zero or negative federal income taxes. The number of single or jointly-filing "taxpayers" - the word must be applied sparingly - who pay no taxes or receive government handouts has reached 65.6 million, out of a total of 151 million.

Those numbers come from an analysis published yesterday by the Tax Policy Center, a joint project of the Urban Institute and Brookings Institution. Neither is a low-tax or conservative advocacy group; the Urban Institute was created under the Johnson administration during the Great Society era, and it receives most of its funding from the federal government.

"You've got a larger and larger share of people paying less and less for the services provided by the federal government," says Roberton Williams, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center. "The concern is that the majority can say, 'Let's have more benefits, spend more,' if they're not paying for it. It's 'free.' That's not a good thing to have."

By historic standards, today's situation is an aberration. Between 1950 and 1990, the number of owe-no-money federal tax returns averaged 21 percent, dipping to 18 percent in 1986, according to Tax Foundation data. In the 1990s, the owe-no-money percentage hovered around 25 percent of taxpayers.

But then politicians began another round of tinkering with the tax code, adding reams of new pages to an already incomprehensible set of rules that even the guy overseeing the IRS can't seem to figure out.

Democrats wanted to lower taxes on the least affluent, while Republicans wanted to lower taxes on everyone. The result was bipartisan enthusiasm for tax credits aimed at everything from children (1997) and college students (1997) to hybrid cars (2005) and homebuyers (2009). Many of these credits dole out cash to people even if they report no income, making them mere government handouts.

"There's no difference at all in terms of the effects on the federal deficit," says Williams of the Tax Policy Center. "It's perfectly equivalent. It's just easier to say, 'I cut your taxes' as opposed to 'I created a new federal program to send money to people.'"

I'm talking here about federal income taxes, not other taxes like Social Security, Medicare, state income taxes, sales taxes, or car registration taxes, some of which are extracted through payroll deductions. The owe-no-money crowd tends to get hit by at least some of those.

The perils of today's situation should be obvious. The United States is close to a tipping point - where most people can skip the post office run on April 15 to mail a check because they're expecting one from the government instead.

"It is somewhat odd that you have a decreasing number of folks paying into the federal income tax system, a decreasing number of folks who have a stake in what the government pays for," says Matt Moon of the non-partisan Tax Foundation in Washington, D.C.

It then becomes tempting to vote for politicians promising more and more handouts, paid for by money forcibly extracted from an ever-shrinking number of their neighbors. In addition to being immoral, it's poor public policy: people who pay no taxes but nevertheless get benefits are less likely to be careful overseers of their elected representatives.

"At some point people become less and less invested in making sure their government is accountable and frugal," says Peter Sepp, vice president for policy and communications at the National Taxpayers Union, a lower-tax advocacy group. "If you pay very little for getting all kinds of government benefits, you might view those programs as a bargain, even though they may waste tens of billions of dollars a year."

As a candidate, President Obama promised still more tax credits, including ones aimed at child care, "clean cars," and savings accounts. As the Wall Street Journal explained at the time: "You can receive these checks even if you have no income-tax liability. In other words, they are an income transfer - a federal check - from taxpayers to nontaxpayers. Once upon a time we called this 'welfare,' or in George McGovern's 1972 campaign a 'Demogrant.'"

A recession, the stimulus, and innumerable bailouts have placed Mr. Obama's plans on hold. But the expiration of the Bush tax cuts at midnight on December 31, 2010 will renew interest in a tax law rewrite.

That will be an opportunity to gut the current system and replace it with something simpler and fairer. After all, if government is important enough to force most of us to work until April 13 to pay its bills, why shouldn't everyone share the pain?

Declan McCullagh is the chief political correspondent for CNET and a CBS News EconWatch contributor. Previously, he was Wired's Washington bureau chief and a reporter for Time.com and Time magazine in Washington, D.C. He has taught journalism, public policy, and First Amendment law. He is an occasional programmer, avid analog and digital photographer, and lives with his wife in the San Francisco Bay area.

By Delcan McCullagh

© MMIX, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Here's what one Canadian has to say:

The President Who Hates His Country

Jack,

I wonder how many, like me, have gone from shock to anger to action to depression....and moving toward resignation? It's just so out of control my head is spinning every day.

The shocking news stories of unprecedented corruption in every office of this administration is starting to feel insurmountable. I heard one thing yesterday that makes a lot of sense. One of the reasons they're bulldozing so many programs and policy changes down our throats at dizzying speed is so that we don't have time to focus on any one thing. Example: When was the last time you heard anything about AIG? Oh, that's old news now!! We've had 10 other fires since then and nobody's paying attention to them anymore! Stimulus plan "oversight committee" meeting the other day -- only 3 of the 10 congressmen on the committee even bothered to show up for the meeting!!!?

States reclaiming sovereignity and pursuing the matter of PrezBO's legitimacy appear to be the best options for getting any kind of control of this madness. Man, I've just never seen anything like this -- then again WWII was before my time.

Jack,

I wonder how many, like me, have gone from shock to anger to action to depression....and moving toward resignation? It's just so out of control my head is spinning every day.

The shocking news stories of unprecedented corruption in every office of this administration is starting to feel insurmountable. I heard one thing yesterday that makes a lot of sense. One of the reasons they're bulldozing so many programs and policy changes down our throats at dizzying speed is so that we don't have time to focus on any one thing. Example: When was the last time you heard anything about AIG? Oh, that's old news now!! We've had 10 other fires since then and nobody's paying attention to them anymore! Stimulus plan "oversight committee" meeting the other day -- only 3 of the 10 congressmen on the committee even bothered to show up for the meeting!!!?

States reclaiming sovereignity and pursuing the matter of PrezBO's legitimacy appear to be the best options for getting any kind of control of this madness. Man, I've just never seen anything like this -- then again WWII was before my time.

Wow it is amazing how Obama has been in office 3.5 months and he has already ruined the country.

By the way if you think this is "unprecedented corruption" then you where NOT paying attention to the last administration and our last Vice President.

As far as the states reclaiming sovereignity I thought people were told that if they didn't like Bush TO GET OUT OF THE COUNTRY 8 years ago. I guess that rings true this time too eh?

Wow it is amazing how Obama has been in office 3.5 months and he has already ruined the country.

By the way if you think this is "unprecedented corruption" then you where NOT paying attention to the last administration and our last Vice President.

As far as the states reclaiming sovereignity I thought people were told that if they didn't like Bush TO GET OUT OF THE COUNTRY 8 years ago. I guess that rings true this time too eh?

Is your name "Jack"?

Is your name "Jack"?

Oh I'm sorry. I thought that is what PRIVATE messages were for. This is FORUM. See many people post and others share their thoughts back.

The idea to encourage banks to make more loans so that people could buy houses wasn't a bad thing. It was the lenders who came up with the schemes that encouraged homeowners to get in way over their heads. Neither Barney Frank nor the other congressional members wanted that or encouraged it. The banks have to take responsibilty for their shoddy lending practices.

You've got it only partially right.

The government, including the congress, didn't just "encourage" banks to make more loans, they demanded it. It was considered a "fairness in lending" crap sandwich that wasn required by the government, abused by the lenders AND the borrowers, and now the government goes, "Wow, you banks were all greedy."

There is enough blame to go around. The government certainly played ITS part as did the borrower who KNEW they were getting way in over their heads. To constantly harp on the lenders as the only reason this all went to hell in a handbasket is inherently dishonest.

States reclaiming sovereignity and pursuing the matter of PrezBO's legitimacy appear to be the best options for getting any kind of control of this madness.

The sad thing is that anybody feels the states need to reclaim that which was always theirs since the founding fathers made it so. It was never intended that the federal government would dictate what different states would do.

Wow it is amazing how Obama has been in office 3.5 months and he has already ruined the country.

You're right, it IS amazing.

Hellllooooo !?!?!?! Does anyone truly believe government knows how to fix anything or clean up a mess ? It's a monster that constantly feeds and grows, protecting and propagating itself, consuming resources, power, freedom, and liberty.

More government is not the answer - it IS the problem.

Government is the ONE entity that consumes the most amount of money while showing the least amount of viable, usable, worthwhile output.

As far as the states reclaiming sovereignity I thought people were told that if they didn't like Bush TO GET OUT OF THE COUNTRY 8 years ago.

What does one have to do with the other?? That sentence makes about as much sense as saying, "If you don't like eating brussels sprouts, then get a Chevy."

It is absolutely amazing. Just amazing. Beth there IS plenty of blame to go around, but you and others who think is is smart to keep the corporations in America strong by allowing them to do things the greedy and ultiimately dishonest way is just amazing.

People are not dishonest for taking advantage of credit cards or loans that have been offered to them. They may be stupid but most of them did not have any criminal intent and they had every intention of repaying the loans and/or credit card charges. They didn't think they were going to have to declare bankruptcy and have their home go into foreclosure and lose their job, all three practically in one fell swoop.

The congress may have told the banks that they needed to make more loans, but the banks made the decision to come up with the dishonest way they constructed loans and solicited people whom they knew could probably not repay those loans.

Yeah, I fault them. My amazement comes from why you do not.

All this talk about feeding corporations more and more profits and allowing them more and more leeway to perform in whatever sleezy capacity they choose has not done what you folks are declaring it will do. We have already tried that! It has NOT helped America.

Business has been done the way you're saying is the right way by not making them pay their fair share of taxes, not making them work within the confines of the United States, by not making them answer to Congress regarding fair trade and fair practices. In fact, it is exatly what has nearly brought the United States (and the world) to its' knees. How you can keep harping on how bad it is to make them operate in such a way that will help rebuild America, is quite the stunner.

No one is proposing that we put corporations out of busines, now are they? Why in the world do you continue to believe that making corporations pay their FAIR SHARE is wrong?????

It is absolutely amazing. Just amazing. Beth there IS plenty of blame to go around, but you and others who think is is smart to keep the corporations in America strong by allowing them to do things the greedy and ultiimately dishonest way is just amazing.

You're right, it IS amazing. It is amazing that you don't see that STRONG CORPORATIONS HIRE AMERICAN WORKERS -- or should. If they were given incentives to hire Americans over outsourcing these jobs, even better.

People are not dishonest for taking advantage of credit cards or loans that have been offered to them. They may be stupid but most of them did not have any criminal intent and they had every intention of repaying the loans and/or credit card charges. They didn't think they were going to have to declare bankruptcy and have their home go into foreclosure and lose their job, all three practically in one fell swoop.

Stupid people who take on more than they KNOW they can afford are thieves, pure and simple. If I was offered a hot item that is likely stolen because it's just too good to be true, am I simply some poor soul with NO responsibility in the matter, or am I culpable as well? I say I am culpable.

If the numbers don't add up (i.e. I make $30,000 a year and am being "offered" a $500,000 house), then yes, I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR PUTTING MYSELF THERE and then having to declare bankruptcy.

If people are so effin' stupid that they can't see the logistics in this, then they have NO BUSINESS buying homes at all. They are just as guilty as the lenders who offer up some bullshit loan that 1) the people can't understand or 2) they can understand but will worry about later when the terms change. You keep talking only about corporate greed, but HUMAN greed in the form of buyers has also caused this collapse.

The congress may have told the banks that they needed to make more loans, but the banks made the decision to come up with the dishonest way they constructed loans and solicited people whom they knew could probably not repay those loans.

The lenders were told they MUST make loans available to people who had horrible credit ratings and were high risk. High risk people are not entitled to the low-risk interest rates that I, who has been careful with her credit and worked hard to pay her bills, is entitled to.

These people didn't deserve to buy houses if they had already proven they couldn't pay off their big-screen television sets.

Yeah, I fault them. My amazement comes from why you do not.

WHO don't I fault?? I have constantly and consistently say I blame ALL involved here: Government first for making it a requirement that the industry come up with some scheme to get these people into houses; the PEOPLE who took advantage of this situation and bought things they knew they couldn't afford; and the lenders for creating such insane schemes to get them approved. Who did I miss??

All this talk about feeding corporations more and more profits and allowing them more and more leeway to perform in whatever sleezy capacity they choose has not done what you folks are declaring it will do. We have already tried that! It has NOT helped America.

Sleeze tactics are not acceptable, but simply making profits is not inherently evil either -- so long as you have done so legitimately.

Business has been done the way you're saying is the right way by not making them pay their fair share of taxes, not making them work within the confines of the United States, by not making them answer to Congress regarding fair trade and fair practices. In fact, it is exatly what has nearly brought the United States (and the world) to its' knees. How you can keep harping on how bad it is to make them operate in such a way that will help rebuild America, is quite the stunner.

Holding Congress up to any level where anybody must answer to them is laughable, especially since the lot of them are crooks, thieves, and liars themselves. They are NOT honorable men and women, and that very Congress that you believe must be answered to is the same Congress that helped make all of this come about.

No one is proposing that we put corporations out of busines, now are they? Why in the world do you continue to believe that making corporations pay their FAIR SHARE is wrong?????

Depends on what you feel is a "fair share," now, doesn't it? However, I AM all for giving them breaks for hiring Americans and keeping the jobs IN America and hitting them where it hurts if they choose not to do so. If a company who keeps jobs on American soil and hires ONLY Americans is able to do so unfettered and not taxed to death, well then that frees up more money to hire employees.

It happened in recent history under Reagan, and businesses thrived, as did the economy. Libs seem to feel the only way to keep things going is to tax people to death. The problem with that is the money eventually dries up, and as usual, our idiotic government has essentially killed the Golden Goose.

Liberalism does NOT work. It's been proven time and again, and not just in our civilization. Liberalism gone unchecked and unhindered smothers the very economy it claims to try to enhance.

It is absolutely amazing. Just amazing. Beth there IS plenty of blame to go around, but you and others who think is is smart to keep the corporations in America strong by allowing them to do things the greedy and ultiimately dishonest way is just amazing.

I work for a public company that employs about 500 and produces the gas that heats your home and the oil that puts gas in your tank. We are an extremely conservative company, and known industry-wide for our very high ethical standards for the fair way we treat our landowners, the responsible manner that we treat the land itself and for the more-than-fair wages and benefits we provide our employees. Before PrezBO is done our business will probably be taxed into oblivion and you will have one less oil producer providing that precious commodity. Multiply that about 750x and you'll find that we'll have about 5 major oil companies running the whole industry. Hmmmm. Whattaya think THAT will do to energy prices, m'dear? You combine that with this cap-n-trade garbage and you can bet your bottom dollar your energy costs will TRIPLE at the very least...not to mention every single product you purchase that relies on energy to produce. If you don't believe me you're a fool.

People are not dishonest for taking advantage of credit cards or loans that have been offered to them. They may be stupid but most of them did not have any criminal intent and they had every intention of repaying the loans and/or credit card charges. They didn't think they were going to have to declare bankruptcy and have their home go into foreclosure and lose their job, all three practically in one fell swoop.

This is very naive thinking on your part. I was listening to a call in show one morning and Houston's most successful residential real estate agent called in to the show. He said that 24% of the foreclosures were on people who moved in on the sub-prime rate deals AND NEVER PAID ONE SINGLE MORTGAGE PAYMENT. By the time the banks go thru their motions and get them evicted they've lived in a house FOR FREE for 18 months. Pretty sweet deal, eh? You don't call that criminal intent?

All this talk about feeding corporations more and more profits and allowing them more and more leeway to perform in whatever sleezy capacity they choose has not done what you folks are declaring it will do. We have already tried that! It has NOT helped America.

Wait 'til you see this place in about 15 years, my friend. You'll be wishing for the good old days for sure.

Business has been done the way you're saying is the right way by not making them pay their fair share of taxes, not making them work within the confines of the United States, by not making them answer to Congress regarding fair trade and fair practices. In fact, it is exatly what has nearly brought the United States (and the world) to its' knees. How you can keep harping on how bad it is to make them operate in such a way that will help rebuild America, is quite the stunner.

OMG. What kind of work do you do anyway??? Are you in the business world AT ALL? $20 says you're a clerk who hasn't a clue how businesses are run or you work for the government or you're on welfare. My company pays enormous amounts of taxes not to mention the tremendous cost incurred just in terms of whole departments that necessary to manage paying those taxes AND manage the demands of the SEC AND the EPA AND the state AND federal regulatory agencies that regulate and supervise our business. Jeez, right off the top of my head I can think of about 50 positions that wouldn't be necessary for all the government regulation that's ALREADY in place!!!

No one is proposing that we put corporations out of busines, now are they? Why in the world do you continue to believe that making corporations pay their FAIR SHARE is wrong?????

Are you kidding me? No one is "proposing" it....they are just creating a situation where it is inevitable. This is gonna be far, far worse than the damage the Carter administration did to this country because of the black hole of debt they are creating.

Bjean - tell me, what is your understanding of how that debt is going to be repaid?

What BJean seems to lack understanding about is that corporations don't really "pay" taxes. They incorporate those taxes into the costs of doing business. The TAXPAYING PEOPLE pay those taxes -- on top of the enormous taxes many already pay (and many others pay none of). :tt2:

I just bought that book, Jack, but I haven't started it yet. I am reading The 5000 Year Leap and it has opened my eyes in ways I could never have imagined. I'm anxious to read Levin's book as well.

I bought Lavin's book but haven't started it yet. I look forward to doing so.