Some people are being given thousands of dollars with no strings attached in universal basic income trials. They mostly spend the cash wisely. - eviltoast
  • Blackmist@feddit.uk
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    7 months ago

    Because not everyone has an extra $1000 a month. The median working person’s tax will increase to the point that the UBI is wiped out (and high earners will find their tax burden more than it is now). This is how it works. It’s not free money on top of your existing money. It’s a barrier at the low end preventing money from going below a certain level.

    • WeirdGoesPro@lemmy.dbzer0.com
      link
      fedilink
      arrow-up
      2
      ·
      7 months ago

      I see, so it sort of scales where they take some or all of the UBI back in taxes based on your income? Would the tax evasion that is common with the ultra-rich thwart this design?

      And if only the poorest demographic has the extra $1000, then wouldn’t that concentrate potential price increases in low income neighborhoods?

      Thank you for answering my questions and feel free to tap out whenever, I just haven’t had the chance to ask anyone about this who seems to have done any real research on it.

      • Blackmist@feddit.uk
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        4
        ·
        7 months ago

        Well the ultra rich don’t really pay a level of income tax that reflects their wealth anyway, but even if they were actively trying to fiddle things any amount of UBI would be but a rounding error in their finances. For the actual rich, nothing short of a wealth tax will do.

        As for the second question, possibly. Although UBI does replace benefits, and I’d wager most low income neighbourhood are already using those benefits to top up landlord retirement funds anyway. UBI is as much about letting people have the money without making them balance it on their nose first while praising the glorious taxpayers that fund it.

        • ObjectivityIncarnate@lemmy.world
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          1
          arrow-down
          2
          ·
          edit-2
          7 months ago

          the ultra rich don’t really pay a level of income tax that reflects their wealth anyway

          Nor does anyone else.

          Income tax reflects income. It has zero relationship with wealth/net worth.

          EDIT: lmao even the most basic factual statements get downvoted when they’re inconvenient to the narrative, huh guys?