flat tax

flat tax, a tax system that applies a single tax rate to all levels of income. It has been proposed as a replacement of the federal income tax in the United States, which was based on a system of progressive tax rates in which the percentage of tax taken increases as income rises. Under some flat tax proposals, all income would be taxed at 17 percent, and the only deductions allowed would be personal deductions.

Proponents of a flat tax cite several advantages over a variable tax rate system. For example, a flat tax system is much simpler than a progressive one, making it possible for all individuals to fill out their own tax forms. A flat tax also would eliminate virtually all compliance costs (e.g., monies paid to professional tax preparers) and reduce red tape significantly.

A second advantage claimed by proponents of a flat tax system is that it would result in more ethical governance. Under a progressive tax system, with its thousands of exemptions, deductions, and credits, there is an incentive for special interest groups to seek favourable treatment. A flat tax, it is claimed, would make it impossible to manipulate the tax code to benefit any particular group, thereby reducing the influence of lobbyists over legislators and other government officials.

A third advantage cited by flat tax supporters is economic stimulus. Removal of the highest income tax rates, they argue, would motivate people to work more, earn more, save more, and invest more, resulting in economic growth that benefits everyone. Some flat tax proposals have included the elimination of all taxes on dividends, interest, and other unearned income as an additional economic stimulus, although such features are not an essential part of a flat tax system. Flat tax opponents, however, have argued that it is doubtful that a flat tax would produce significant economic growth.

The main criticism leveled against the flat tax is that it is unfair. Such a system, say opponents of the tax, would result in a windfall for the rich and higher tax burdens for the poor and the middle class, who are less able to afford them. Defenders of a flat tax argue that the beneficial effects of a progressive tax system could be maintained through generous personal exemptions.

A second criticism is that a flat tax would cause shortfalls in the government’s budget by lowering the taxes paid by the wealthy. Flat tax supporters counter that the economic growth resulting from a flat tax would generate additional tax revenue that would more than make up for the revenue lost from lower tax rates.