An elegant answer to the over-complicated tax system is to shift the basis of the system from income to spending. There have been a variety of proposals to make this happen. It’s the core of the so-called Fair Tax and Herman Cain incorporated its concept into his 9-9-9 tax plan. Other proposals have called for a value-added tax similar to the system in the United Kingdom.
Working to earn a living contributes to society, as does investing in businesses. Taxes on income, whether wages or dividends, could discourage this type of economically-beneficial activity. Consumer spending also benefits the economy, though, and if this tax system discourages spending, it might have a negative effect on the economy initially.
Also, lower-income households and those who live paycheck-to-paycheck would bear a higher burden. When all of a family’s income is spent, this family would be taxed on a high percentage of their income. On the other hand, a corporate executive earning more than a million dollars does not need to spend all of his money. His tax burden is more affordable. Under today’s tax environment, someone with the means might put into real estate, invest in businesses, and shelter assets in offshore accounts. Under the new system, a wealthy individual might stay away from buying houses if those transactions are taxed, while bringing more offshore assets back to the United States.
Rather than adding a national sales tax to determine consumption, one solution is to report all income, as is currently done, as well as all contributions to savings, just like what is done for IRA and 401(k) accounts. The difference between income and savings would be the basis on which the government levies the consumption tax. There could be a high standard deduction applied to the difference, so that lower-income families who are struggling to save do not need to pay an unaffordable tax bill, and so that the system remains progressive.
Reforming the tax system away from income tax is a tall order. Thanks to deductions for tax-advantaged savings, the income tax system has already begun to shift towards a focus on spending, but if you believe that the system could be vastly improved by focusing solely on consumption, the system has a long way to go before workers and savers aren’t punished by a tax collection system.
Would you prefer a tax system based solely on consumption?
Photo: exfordy
New York Times, Slate
Published or updated January 23, 2012. If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to the RSS feed or receive daily emails. Follow @flexo on Twitter and visit our Facebook page for more updates.
Southern California commuters will be greeted this morning by sprinkles of rain and view showers as a storm system moves into the area, bringing with it a slight chance of thunderstorms, forecasters said.
Between a 1/4 and 3/4 of an inch of rain was expected to be scattered across the region today in what forecasters stated would be a "very confused weather picture" throughout the Southland.
"The leading edge of the showers are in Ventura right now; it should be moving into L.A. just in time for rush hour," said Andrew Rorke, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Rorke said there was a 20% chance of thunderstorms that could happen "anywhere, any time." Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph were forecast for the desert and mountain areas.
In the mountains, between five and 10 inches of snow was expected above 6,000 feet, prompting winter storm warnings to be issued.
The storm was expected to clear out by late afternoon or early evening, giving way to warm and dry weather for the rest of the week.
Temperatures are expected to climb about 10 degrees Tuesday, and another 10 degrees Wednesday, and warm offshore winds from the north will dry out the region, forecasters said.
"If we can get through the day, things will be quite nice," Rorke said.
ALSO:
All-women team of Seabees makes history in Afghanistan
Driver arrested on suspicion of DUI three times in five days
Man crushed by tree at Yosemite as storm batters California
– Victoria Kim
twitter.com/vicjkim
Southern California commuters will be greeted this morning by sprinkles of rain and sunshine showers as a storm system moves into the area, bringing with it a slight chance of thunderstorms, forecasters said.
Between a 1/4 and 3/4 of an inch of rain was expected to be scattered across the region this day in what forecasters said would be a "very confused weather picture" throughout the Southland.
"The leading edge of the showers are in Ventura right now; it should be moving into L.A. just in time for rush hour," stated Andrew Rorke, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Oxnard.
Rorke said there was a 20% chance of thunderstorms that could happen "anywhere, any time." Wind gusts of 50 to 55 mph were forecast for the desert and mountain areas.
In the mountains, between five and 10 inches of snow was expected above 6,000 feet, prompting winter storm warnings to be issued.
The storm was expected to clear out by late afternoon or early evening, giving way to warm and dry weather for the rest of the week.
Temperatures are expected to climb about 10 degrees Tuesday, and another 10 degrees Wednesday, and warm offshore winds from the north will dry out the region, forecasters said.
"If we can get through the day, things will be quite nice," Rorke said.
ALSO:
All-women team of Seabees makes history in Afghanistan
Driver arrested on suspicion of DUI three times in five days
Man crushed by tree at Yosemite as storm batters California
– Victoria Kim
twitter.com/vicjkim
Child Photography The field of child photography is challenging but also both enjoyable and profitable ? if you like children. Don?t bother pretending, if you really don?t. You may fool a parent ? but not the little one.
Tips to help are:
The techniques used in most other fields of photography do not always apply in child photography. The phrase ?hold it? or ?freeze? carry very little weight with children. They typically do as they please and if they please. Your assignment is to anticipate what a child may be about to do and capture it.
YOU can turn this into your advantage: Since children don?t always do what you want them to do, or what you expect them to do (actually they rarely do!). A solution often is: don?t expect them to become a cooperative little adult merely because you want to take their picture. Trick them ? expect them to act like children. Don?t expect anything in particular. DO this and you can enter the fun and profitable field of child photography.
Know your stuff -
Before you start booking sessions with children you must know exactly what you are capable of doing ? what your camera is capable of doing ? what all your equipment is capable of doing. Operating your camera and equipment must be second nature. Have your style of photography down pat, so when you start a session your mind is on the child(ren). This takes your complete focus. This is not the time to be fiddling with you camera, or trying to figure out your light setup. Children take 100% of your concentration. For some children the entire shoot may only last 10 minutes ? though you feel you have just run a marathon ? so you have to be able to get in position , get the most cooperation from the child, get great shots. At times, this has to be done very quickly, BUT you cannot make the child feel they are being rushed.
Know your subjects -
With children, you must expect the unexpected. At different ages children are capable of doing different things. The more you know what they typically do during some of these stages, the better images you are going to capture. And the happier you make your clients ? which, in turn, makes you financially happy.
During a session photographing children you can get a variety of poses, expressions and antics. In no other field of photography are you liable to get such variety. The more you learn about little ones the better child photographer you will be. Children are not just children until they become adults ?they come in all sizes. Between four months and four years you can place them into quite a few categories: 4-6 mos, 6-12 mos, 12-18 mos, 18-24 mos, and then you can lengthen out the age span. Awareness of these ages are needed to help you – the photographer – be aware of the limitations children (especially little ones) have.
Listening to the parent can help toward a successful session.
You can learn specific things about their child that will make it or break it:
Are they afraid of certain things or sounds?
What are their special likes?
Do they like books?
How comfortable are they with a stranger approaching them? You do NOT want to spook a little one; the scheduled time may not allow for you to win their confidence.
Be ready with that camera when you first introduce something new ?you do not get a second chance to get first reactions!
In most areas of photography a tripod is great for sharp photos. However with child photography you do not always have such a luxury. Once they reach the moving around stage, a tripod limits your ability to capture expressions and poses. Be mindful of your camera settings ? keep that shutter speed fast enough to prevent blurring ? and be ready to move quickly!
Child photography allows for close-up portraits as well as the child engaged in some activity ? taking their socks off ? in a box / tub with toys ? climbing on or out of something. There is really no limit. As you continue to gain experience in working with children of various ages you will become more adept at learning what typically works with different age groups.
Child photography is a challenge ? but don?t worry sometime it turns into children photography. Mom has twins ? big brother / little sister ? maybe three little cousins. The list goes on! Imagine two sister and they both have triplets! Other than the obvious difficulty of getting multiple little subjects in any semblance of position, conducive to a memorable photo you need to bring everyone?s eyes to a central focal point. Tricky, but not impossible. Adding something NEW to catch their attention, at the moment you press the shutter, can work. Use this sparingly, because when child photography turns into children photography getting all their attention on the same thing is quite a feat. The beauty of digital is no limits to the exposures you take and you can take a quick peek on the spot.
Parents can be quite helpful during the photo session. Children often are more confident with a parent nearby. Also, do not overlook the value of older brother and sisters. They have a relationship with the little one like no one else! Often they can get their little brother or sister to giggle, make faces, hold things and a host of other things that may be exactly what you need. Plus, you have the opportunity of including more subjects in the photos, which translates into a larger photo package for the customer!
As you advance in child photography you will want a lighting setup and a backdrop. A three light setup ? consisting of a main light fill light and a background light ? is ideal. However if you are just beginning you can do great photography with a lot less. Experiment, and add as needed. If you are using a backdrop keep the child at least four feet from the backdrop (if possible). This eliminates shadows and prevents the backdrop from competing with your subject.
Take your act on the road -
You can do child photography at the park – on the beach – in the backyard, just as easily as in a studio or home ? maybe more so – and nature will take care of the lighting for you, as long as you select open shade.
Items to have on hand:
Depending on the ages and whether you are shooting indoors or outdoors you need a supply of items to catch and keep their interest and that look great in a photo:
rattles
feather dusters
soft toys
dolls
hats
mirrors
a telephone (the bigger the better)
a big whistle
duplicate toys (for twins & overly competitive little ones)
treats & snacks
There is much more to be written on child photography. For more information on this, and other related subjects, you may want to read the article
http://www.you-can-do-great-photography.com/child-photography.html
This article authored by: You-Can-Do-Great-Photography.com
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