Unfairness and Nonsense in the Tax Code
Terry L. Mitchell
July 07, 2009
Of all the unfair and nonsensical concepts in the federal tax code of the U.S., none stands out more than the way tax breaks are given to parents of dependent children. Those taxpayers get huge tax credits and deductions for each child they can legally list as a dependent. As a result, they pay less in taxes that those with similar incomes who have no dependent children, assuming all else is equal.
However, since children are a major drain on public resources, logic and fair play would dictate that it should be the way other around. But those who write the tax laws never let that kind of stuff stand in their way. The tax code is, in effect, being used as a vehicle to force those who have no children to subsidize other people´s kids.
We wouldn´t stand for letting a man take money from his childless neighbor´s pocket to support to support his kids. On the other hand, when the government does it for him, very few people speak up, and the neighbor himself often acquiesces to the theft.
However, since children are a major drain on public resources, logic and fair play would dictate that it should be the way other around. But those who write the tax laws never let that kind of stuff stand in their way. The tax code is, in effect, being used as a vehicle to force those who have no children to subsidize other people´s kids.
We wouldn´t stand for letting a man take money from his childless neighbor´s pocket to support to support his kids. On the other hand, when the government does it for him, very few people speak up, and the neighbor himself often acquiesces to the theft.