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A comment on Finland’s basic income plan could change everything. Parent comment

Re:Finland’s basic income plan could change everything by ones_and_zeros on Friday January 15, 2016 @03:54PM (#10912075)
No, the US gov't was able to set taxes well well before the 16th Amendment, which as you point out, is only for income taxes. The US gov't had all sorts of taxes before the 16th Amendment and the justification for that as outlined in the US Constitution is for the general welfare.[0]

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taxing_and_Spending_Clause

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Re:Finland’s basic income plan could change everything by gnaritas on Friday January 15, 2016 @04:04PM (#10912128)
We were discussing income taxes; and income taxes existed before the 16th as well, based on other tax clauses until the courts ruled the direct taxes and thus unconstitutional. You're correct about the general welfare clause as the basis for most taxes, but it's not the basis for income taxes which is what "taxes" mean generally when people are discussing taxes.
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