Question

What are some of the challenges the federal and state governments face in trying to implement a fair tax system?. Give at least three concrete facts to support your answer.

Answer 1

(1) No two people agree on just what would be "fair".

(2) Even if there were agreement, the people with political clout have no reason to want a "fair" system; they want a system that benefits them. There is a reason the Republicans have been pushing through tax cuts for the rich.

(3) The tax "system" includes all the taxes: local, state, and federal. If you want the entire system to be fair, it has to be changed as a whole, not piece by piece. And that would make it hard to start and hard to maintain (any change in tax rates would also have to be coordinated)