The Tax system explained in Beer

[kgwilson]

Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100.

 

 

 

If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:

 

 

 

The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.

 

The fifth would pay $1.

 

The sixth would pay $3.

 

The seventh would pay $7.

 

The eighth would pay $12.

 

The ninth would pay $18.

 

The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.

 

 

 

So, that's what they decided to do.

 

 

 

The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.

 

 

 

"Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20." Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.

 

 

 

The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes.

 

So the first four men were unaffected.

 

They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men? The paying customers?

 

 

 

How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his fair share?'

 

 

 

They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer.

 

 

 

So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.

 

 

 

And so the fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings)

 

The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).

 

The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).

 

The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).

 

The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 ( 22% savings).

 

The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).

 

 

 

Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free.

 

But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.

 

 

 

"I only got a dollar out of the $ 20,"declared the sixth man.

 

He pointed to the tenth man," but he got $10!"

 

 

 

"Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a Dollar, too.

 

It's unfair that he got ten times more than me!"

 

 

 

"That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"

 

 

 

"Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!"

 

 

 

The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.

 

 

 

The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him.

 

But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of them for even half of the bill!

 

 

 

And that, boys and girls, journalists and college professors, this is how our tax system works.

 

 

 

The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction.

 

 

 

Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore.

 

In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.

 

 

 

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.

 

 

 

Professor of Economics

 

 

 

University of Georgia

 

 

 

For those who understand, no explanation is needed.

 

 

 

For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible

 

 

[storchy neil]

 

 

[eightyknots]

... ...

David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.

 

Professor of Economics

 

University of Georgia

 

For those who understand, no explanation is needed.

 

For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible

Fantastic to see that someone in the exalted towers of academia has such common sense and a simple way of explaining th "skewed taxation" concept!!

 

 

[damkia]

Doesn't matter much to me...I'm still so broke I can't even pay attention.

 

 

[coljones]

http://www.smh.com.au/money/tax/insight-tax-20120724-22lol.html

 

Doesn't explain progressive taxation but puts our total tax bill into some sort of perspective.

 

I am still trying to work out how to set up a front company so I can get myself overseas as a tax deductible business expense.

 

 

[cscotthendry]

Actually, if they paid for the beer the way we pay taxes, the tenth man would end up paying 50 cents for his beer and get a deduction for accounting fees, a rebate for depreciation and a subsidy from the government for creating employment.

 

 

[damkia]

Actually, if they paid for the beer the way we pay taxes, the tenth man would end up paying 50 cents for his beer and get a deduction for accounting fees, a rebate for depreciation and a subsidy from the government for creating employment.

"Keeping Australians employed....one beer at a time."

 

 

[dazza 38]

I brew my own beer.

 

 

[pudestcon]

I brew my own beer.

Ahhhh, one of those avoiding tax eh?

Pud

 

 

[Gnarly Gnu]

The only country that has a tax on fart gas.