Title: Regressive tax financial definition of Regressive tax
Headings: Regressive tax
Regressive tax
Regressive tax
Regressive Tax
regressive tax
Regressive tax.
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Content: Regressive Tax
A tax that is applied to all persons equally and therefore adversely affects persons with lower income. For example, if a city institutes a 5% sale tax on groceries, everyone who buys groceries (that is, everyone) must pay 5% extra. Because the poor and the lower middle class make less money than other classes, the extra 5% is more difficult for them to afford. As a result, regressive taxes are less popular among left-wing political groups. However, proponents argue that regressive taxes are fair, at least to a certain extent, because they do not punish success. Farlex Financial Dictionary. © 2012 Farlex, Inc. All Rights Reserved
regressive tax
A tax that has a rate that declines as the amount to be taxed increases. In terms of income, federal and state taxation of cigarettes is regressive because low-income smokers pay a higher rate of taxation in terms of their income than high-income smokers do. A system of regressive taxation tends to free more funds for investment because high-income individuals tend to save a greater portion of their income. However, a regressive tax is often considered socially and politically unacceptable.