Plan B Forum

To help reduce the national debt, I propose a “Value Tax”, a progressive tax system that adjusts based on the societal value of different professions and sources of income.

The Core Idea Professions that provide essential goods and services — like food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, financial services, and manufacturing would be taxed at a lower rate. These roles sustain our way of life and meet our most critical needs.

Higher Taxes for Non-Essentials In contrast, careers that aren’t essential to survival such as those in sports, music, and film would face higher tax rates. While these industries provide entertainment and enjoyment, they don’t contribute as directly to the fundamental needs of society.

This is what I'm thinking in terms of tax rates:

Income Range Proposed Tax Rate Notes
Up to $1 million/year 20% Standard professional rate
$1–5 million/year 40% Elevated rate for high earners
$5 million and above Up to 75% Reserved for ultra-high non-essential incomes

Don't get me wrong; I enjoy movies and music just like anyone else. But we could function without them. A movie offers a few hours of enjoyment, and then it's over. A song may lift our mood, but it doesn’t feed, house, or clothe us.

This proposal isn’t meant to diminish creativity or entertainment; it’s about rethinking economic priorities based on societal impact.

A personal footnote here: It wouldn't bother me if sports were taxed out of existence.

This is an interesting idea. Tax policy has always been used to incentivize certain types of economic activity; this is just a variation on that.

It is interesting, but would be difficult to implement; e.g., production of food would be taxed lower as an essential service, but what about production of junk food or unhealthy prepared foods? And what about restaurants (and before you say this is more entertainment, what about those who live in a room with no access to cooking facilities?). Not to mention alcohol (for some, wine or beer is a essential part of a meal). Likewise, healthcare could be essential, but what about cosmetic surgery, and should some cosmetic surgery (such as trying to remove scars after an accident) be included and others (such as a face lift or tummy tuck) not. I would take a lot of thought work to design an appropriate bill, and I am not sure a consensus could be reached, but it is an interesting idea.