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Originally Posted by P-hack
road infrastructure tax should be based on usage, vehicle weight, # of tires, that sort of thing. People have gotten into trouble for making their own biodiesel/ethanol and not paying a fuel tax. The tax laws are pretty ridiculous all around, but the sophistication to make it simple is a long way off. So they generalize a lot.
I suppose they can check when you sell or junk a vehicle to see if you have been honest about your miles, or during annual inspections. Plus some form to replace an odo/dashboard.
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These days it would be very easy to have a GPS based system of taxing road use. Even basic cell phones include the required technology. If it was linked to a particular vehicle, it could take into account the effect of vehicle weight. Varying the usage charges with time of day, to reduce congestion, could be added.
I suspect it would be very difficult to implement due to concerns about privacy and governments being able to monitor people's movements.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MPGranger
A very simple universal flat tax on all goods and all services taxes everyone from the poorest individual to the richest corporation equally and impartially. But at the same time the poor do not contribute as much as the rich because the rich buy more things that are more expensive.
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The problem with flat taxes, including goods and services taxes, is that they are highly regressive. Low income earners spend a much greater proportion of their income (often all of it) than do those on higher incomes.