De Franse econome Veronique de Rugy onderscheidt bij Bloomberg TV elke week feit van fictie. Deze keer: vier mythes over belastingen, en de bijbehorende feiten. (Helaas is het allemaal wat gericht op de VS, maar het zal in vergelijkbare mate voor Nederland gelden.)
Myth 1: The wealthy arent paying their fair share.
Fact 1: The wealthy disproportionately fund the United States federal government.
Myth 2: Top earners in the United States are millionaires.
Fact 2: Only 2% of the top 10% of earners are millionaires.
Myth 3: All Americans pay income taxes.
Fact 3: An estimated 45% of Americans will pay no federal income taxes this year.
Myth 4: The key to our deficit problems rests in our ability to increasing the top marginal tax rates leads to increased tax revenues
Fact 4: From 1930 to 2010, tax revenue collection in the United States has never topped 20.9 percent, averaging 16.5 percent of GDP over these 80 years - despite drastic fluctuations in the rate of taxes on the wealthiest Americans.