Hello everybody!   
      
   Had to steal this one----Couldn't have explained it better myself!   
   I like beer. I like explaining taxes... this was just too great to pass up!   
   This is a Great Explanation of U.S. tax systemTax system explained in terms of   
   beer - to make it more manageable:   
      
   Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes   
   to $100.00. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go   
   something like this:   
      
   The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.   
   The fifth would pay $1   
   The sixth would pay $3   
   The seventh would pay $7   
   The eighth would pay $12   
   The ninth would pay $18   
   The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59   
      
   So, that's what they decided to do. The ten men drank in the bar every day and   
   seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a   
   curve. "Since you are all such good customers," he said, "I'm going to reduce   
   the cost of your daily beer by $20." "Drinks for the ten now cost just $80."   
      
   The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes, so the   
   first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But, what   
   about the other six men? ...the paying customers?? How could they divide the   
   $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?' They realized that   
   $20 divided by six is $3.33. But, if they subtracted that from everybody's   
   share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to   
   drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce   
   each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the   
   amounts each should pay ...and so,   
      
   The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).   
   The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).   
   The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).   
   The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).   
   The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 ( 22% savings).   
   The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).   
      
   Each of the six was better off than before, and the first four continued to   
   drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare   
   their savings.   
      
   "I only got a dollar out of the $20," declared the sixth man. He pointed to   
   the tenth man," but he got $10!"   
      
   Yeah, that's right," exclaimed the fifth man. "I only saved a dollar, too.   
   It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!"   
      
   "That's true!!" shouted the seventh man. "Why should he get $10 back when I   
   got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!"   
      
   "Wait a minute," yelled the first four men in unison. "We didn't get anything   
   at all." "The system exploits the poor!"   
      
   The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up.   
      
   The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down   
   and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they   
   discovered something important. They didn't have enough money between all of   
   them for even half of the bill! ...and that, boys and girls, journalists and   
   college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the   
   highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much,   
   attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact,   
   they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat   
   friendlier...   
      
   David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.Professor of Economics University of Georgia   
      
   For those who understand, no explanation is needed.? For those who do not   
   understand, no explanation is possible!   
      
   Matt   
      
      
      
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