“No tax on tips”. Okay, let the FULL tax debate begin !!!

Photo above - should waitstaff tips be taxed? How about cashiers at Jersey Mike's subs?

I endorse Kamala Harris’s proposal to stop taxing tips (see link below). Tips to waitresses, bartenders, hotel staff, baristas, Jersey Mike’s cashiers, Doordash drivers, Chipotle servers . . . the whole enchilada. What? You didn’t realize the population of tipped workers was this large? Be informed! And it will get bigger if tips become exempt from taxes. Corporations will play games with setting wages for “tipped staff”, and changing the definition of said workers. Will emergency room interns now start accepting tips? Whatever . . . I still favor no tax on tips. Even though this idea pre-dates Candidate Kamala.

Since the miniscule tax revenue from tips has now become Topic A of the Harris campaign, can we expand the conversation to include a complete menu of tax policies? Which Harris and Trump are doing their best to avoid. Here are some other ideas both candidates should be required to “debate” on next month, during their Fox network "who wants to be the president?" game show.

Should social security benefits be exempt from all state and federal income taxes? Many of these folks are just getting by. And besides, they already paid income taxes on that money in the year they first earned it. Social Security withholdings are taxed when earned. Now it's double taxation. On senior citizens, no less.

Should all medical expenses and health insurance premiums be exempt from income tax? Why hit someone with a tax bill just because they got cancer or had a heart attack? How on earth can we require mandatory health coverage, then tax the insurance premiums?

How about the exemption on mortgage interest on “second homes”, beachfront vacation homes, aspen ski condos, and yachts 10 times the size of the Mayflower? Can we start taxing these, or do America’s richest oligarchs have their hooks set into our politicians too deeply?

What is the HIGHEST conceivable (federal) tax rate someone in America should be hit with? 50%? 70%? Let’s pick a number, debate it honestly, and stop screaming “tax the rich” at the top our voices.

What income level is absolutely too low to be taxable? Did you know that some people pay income tax on incomes as low as $11,000? 22% on incomes of $44,000? Let’s not get tied up in “personal exemption" debates at this stage. Let’s just realistically ask what it costs to live in places like New York, New Mexico, and West Virginia. This might be part of the reason people are living in tents.

Good start Kamala. Stop taxing the tips earned by our lowest paid workers. Now let's see how much your compassion and logic extends to the other situations.

~Harris blindsided Democrats with ‘no tax on tips’ plan (msn.com)~

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Baremine · 70-79, C

But Kamala stole the no tax on tips from president Trump. She isn't smart enough to think of that on her own and besides democrats only increase taxes and never lower them. The only thing democrats do is enslave people.
TRUMP 2024. AMERICA'S ONLY HOPE.

beckyromero · 36-40, F

@Baremine

Kamala stole the no tax on tips from president Trump

Trump didn't come up with the idea. I've advocated it LONG before him. And right here on SW, too!

So by YOUR line of thinking I guess I can say Trump stole the idea from ME!

Baremine · 70-79, C

@beckyromero a lot of us had that idea long before Trump. But taxing social security was Biden's idea when he was a senator.
Politicians are like professional athletes, way over paid.
Have a great day my friend.

beckyromero · 36-40, F

@Baremine

Oh you mean that he was one of the super majority of senators that passed a bi-partisan bill that President Reagan signed to prevent Social Security from running out of funds? And that those taxed were (then) among the well-off?

The problem is that subsequent Congresses have never passed legislation to index the floor to inflation.

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@Baremine i noted in the top post that it was not original with her. it's not original to trump either. in the past NOBODY had to pay taxes on tips.

Baremine · 70-79, C

@SusanInFlorida I am well aware. Just like originally social security wasn't taxable.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@Baremine Kamala was very clever in adding the no-tax on tips plank. She should also add the no-tax on Social Security plank. That way the Repub Congress Critters will have to support the bills since they were proposed by the weird lying SOB orange traitor that they love so much.

And the way to campaign on the no-tax on Social Security is to say how many people in each State are getting Social Securiy checks. That should garner votes from the old critters.

Baremine · 70-79, C

@Diotrephes but the tax on social security was all Biden when he was a senator. Seems like Harris doesn't know what she believes. She flops around like a fish out of water.

Diotrephes · 70-79, M

@Baremine Opinions change over time. When the racist FDR created the Social Security program most Blacks were excluded.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/28/politics/joe-biden-social-security-gop-kfile/index.html

beckyromero · 36-40, F

@Baremine

the tax on social security was all Biden when he was a senator

What part of one 1983 vote in a Republican-led Senate out of 88 total senators voting "aye" on a bill that passed the House and was signed by a Republican President don't you understand?

https://voteview.com/rollcall/RS0980053

Stop taking math home study course from Trump University! Otherwise you get stuff feed-forced into your brain like he said the other day: that more than 100% of the jobs created during the Biden administration went to undocument immigrants.

Baremine · 70-79, C

@beckyromero I just said it was Biden's idea. Personally I think both sides have screwed us. I'm still trying to figure out why I have to have Medicare deducted from mu SS when they stole it from my paychecks as well as SS.
Actually It's to bad you can't run for president. You are much more moderate than Harris Walz.
Besides we could go to a ball game and have a good time.

beckyromero · 36-40, F

@Baremine

I just said it was Biden's idea.

And you're wrong... because it was NOT "his" idea.

It was part of a proposal by the Greenspan Commission, whose members were appointed by the President, the Senate majority leader and the Speaker of the House.

The Commission was chaired by Alan Greenspan (who later became the chairman of the Federal Reserve). The only sitting members of the Senate on the Commission were Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole (R-KS), William Armstrong (R-CO), John Heinz (R-PA) and Daniel Patrick Moynihan (D-NY).

Pictured, seated, left to right: Bob Myers, Executive Staff Director; Rep. Claude Pepper (D-FL); Martha Keys;Chairman Alan Greenspan; Mary Falvey Fuller; Rep. Bill Archer (R-TX); Lane Kirkland. Standing, left to right: Robert Beck; Bob Ball; Alexander Trowbridge; Rep. Barber Conable (R-NY); Sen. John Heinz (R-PA); Sen. Pat Moynihan (D-NY); Sen. Bob Dole (R-KS); Joe Waggonner, Jr. SSA History Archives.

Not every member of the Commission agreed on each provision that was recommended.

Here's what the Commission eventually proposed.

https://www.ssa.gov/history/reports/gspan5.html