CNN 2011-10-29

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Well, the US currently has something called a progressive income tax system, means the more money you make, the higher the government's income tax rate is. This is what those rates look like for a single person living on his or her own. The national average wage is aroung $41,000 a year, so you can see from this chart that this person's fedaral income taxes at that wage will be around 25%.

 

A flat tax will make just one income tax rate that everyone pays, not matter no matter how much or how little they earn. So one of the pros² here, it's simpler, would make taxes a lot easier to figure out. Also, the proposals we've heard about are lower than 25% that every wage bracket, so many Americans would pay less in government incomes assesses. Business would pay less tax too, so people are getting bigger pay checks and spending more money; and businesses are making more money and hiring more workers. In theory, the economy would grow.

 

The cons³ of flat tax, it's risky⁴. With many Americans paying less in incomes assesses, the government would take in less money at first, so that could increase government debt. It would also be challenging for the Congress to decide what the flat tax rate would be, 9%, 15%. 20%. Big debate there. And, because law makers don't want taxes to go up on Americans with lower incomes, there would also be a debate on who gets tax breaks to help them out.

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