Progressive Tax Rate
The progressive tax is a governmental system that taxes individuals based on their income. This type of taxation system is designed to apply to those individuals who earn significantly high incomes. Unlike the regressive tax system, which treats everyone the same regardless of income, the progressive tax system is structured to tax high-income earners at a higher rate when compared to those individuals who have lower incomes.
The progressive tax rate is typically used by governments to generate revenue from those individuals who can more easily afford to pay. In other words, those without substantial financial resources are not required to pay, whereas those with more income are taxed at a higher rate. There are countries and states, for instance, which have adopted what is known as a progressive tax system, wherein the income tax rate is increased in a systematic manner when incomes cross certain income thresholds.
It is important to note that this type of taxation system does not mean that those with higher incomes will pay all of the tax that is collected - in fact, the opposite is usually the case. What it does mean is that those individuals who make more substantial incomes will pay proportionally more than those with a lower income.
The purpose of this type of system is to ensure that wealthier individuals contribute their fair share to government revenue, while at the same time providing relief or assistance to those who may not be able to cover the full amount of taxes that would otherwise be due. By taxing wealthy individuals at a higher rate, governments can encourage them to pay the necessary taxes while still ensuring that the less-fortunate are not overly burdened by excessive taxation.
In the United States, the progressive tax system is structured in such a way that the tax rate increases as the taxpayers income rises. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) sets a specific rate for each income bracket, ranging from 10 percent for the lowest income earners and topping out at 37 percent for those making more than $500,000 annually.
The progressive tax is a taxation system that is designed to be fair and equitable, taking into consideration an individuals’ ability to pay. While the system does require higher earners to pay at a higher rate than those with lower incomes, it is structured so that the wealthy will still pay proportionally less while at the same time ensuring that everyone is contributing their fair share towards the revenue and resources of the government. This type of taxation system also ensures that those individuals or households with a lower income do not pay as much in taxes, thus leading to a more equitable system that can provide greater financial resources to those who need them.