CHAPTER 1
in saying that reform of the corporate income tax, if not the personal income tax, should be
revenue-neutral.
But what would be so great about enacting a “simpler” tax code that raises no additional
revenue to fix crumbling bridges and other shoddy infrastructure and no additional revenue
to protect Medicare and nutrition assistance from the budget ax? What good is “simplification” if it means reducing the EITC for working poor families?
A tax reform that simplifies taxes and makes April 15 a little easier is certainly welcome.
But if it does nothing to expand the public investments that our livelihoods and our futures
depend on, then it will be a huge wasted opportunity.
Steve Wamhoff is the legislative director for Citizens for Tax Justice.
Figure 1.12 Shares of Total Taxes Paid by Each Income Group Will Be Similar to Their Shares of Income
in 2013
0
15.3%
10.7%
10.1%
14.3%
14.6%
2.1%
5
5.1%
6.9%
10
9.9%
11.2%
14.0%
15
18.2%
18.4%
Total Taxes
24.0%
21.9%
Total Income
20
3.3%
Percentage Share of Income and Taxes
25%
Lowest 20%
Second 20%
Middle 20%
Fourth 20%
Next 10%
Next 5%
Next 4%
Top 1%
Income Group
Source: Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP) Tax Model, April 2013. Citizens for Tax Justice, April 2013.
www.bread.org/institute?
? 2014 Hunger Report? 59
n