Economics Volume II: Modern Economic ProblemsFetter, Frank A. (Frank Albert)
General
Economics Volume II: Modern Economic Problems
Fetter, Frank A. (Frank Albert)
Economics
The first ten months' yield (March 1, 1913, to December 31, 1913) was
over $60,000,000. A remarkable fact is that 21 per cent of all taxable
incomes (not persons) were in the single Borough of Manhattan (the
main part of New York City). The receipts from the income tax in
1913 were nearly 10 per cent of the ordinary receipts of the federal
government, and about 2 per cent of total revenue receipts of all
branches of government, the income taxes paid by individuals being
about 1 per cent of the same total, and the super-tax about 1/2 per
cent of the same.
The receipts from the income tax during the fiscal year ending
June 30, 1915, were $80,000,000, of which $39,000,000 was paid by
corporations and $41,000,000 by individuals. Of the latter sum, over
$24,000,000 was from the super-tax.
§ 10. #A system of taxation.# The task of reforming and developing the
various kinds of taxes and of uniting them into a just and consistent
plan for each of the divisions of government in the United States is
a vast and difficult one. There are many conflicting interests among
states, between states and nation, among the various minor political
divisions, and among individuals and classes. There are also
conflicting opinions regarding many features of the possible practical
plans. Because of these it is safe to predict that progress will not
be made quickly, steadily, nor always directed toward a clear ideal.
If progress is to be rapid, the public must, however, have consistent
principles by which its steps may be guided. In the foregoing kinds of
taxation are the various elements which may be united into a system of
taxation. It is useful to consider how this might be done.
At the basis of the whole tax structure is taxation, by value, of
concrete wealth at the place where it is situated (_in situ_). This
should be regardless of the distribution of ownership or of the
residence of the owner. The present misnamed "general property tax"
already presents the main outlines of this form of taxation and the
general changes necessary in law and method of assessment have been
indicated above.[12] Corporation taxation may be adjusted to this
either by separate treatment and assignment to state purposes only,
or more simply for most states, by assimilating it with the general
taxation of wealth and allotting due shares of the proceeds to the
various taxing divisions.[13] The national government can, because of
its exclusive power of levying tariff duties and also because of
its exclusive control over interstate commerce, reach the tax-paying
ability of the nation effectively by a combination of tariff and
internal revenue taxes. These become a part of business costs, and are
diffused over the whole population in general prices.[14]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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