Property Tax Prepayment benefit possible for some NH residents

[jeffk]

Originally Posted by PeterG

Maxum--an excellent question and a great point. I agree that it's all about retail sales.

As BiggD points out, the rich save much more than others as a percent of income. There's plenty of data on this, and it all points in the same direction.
As you can see in the link below, the middle quintile saves 11% of their income and the top 1% saves 51% of their income. So if a trillion dollar tax cut goes to the middle class, $890 billion gets spent, driving retail sales. But if we give a trillion dollar break to the top 1%, only $490 billion gets spent retail. So the best way to drive retail is to give the tax break to those still struggling financially.

http://www.businessinsider.com/chart...e-level-2013-3

Many of those truly struggling financially don't pay income taxes anyway so a "break" for them does nothing for them or the economy.

As to thinking that invested money doesn't help retail, that is naive. Companies that receive investments are able to hire more people or raise salaries or buy equipment (allowing other companies to hire people) to increase productivity that then allows them to raise salaries. Many of the recipients of those increases are NOT rich and spend the extra money they just got. We just had a banner sales year for Christmas. That was very likely fueled simply by the anticipation of better economic (business) times including personal benefits improving. Those $1000 bonuses we are reading about are buying TVs, home improvements, etc. Those bonuses are fueled by tax breaks and by anticipation of new investment money coming in from rich people who got tax breaks.

Investment is an essential part of the economy and directly and indirectly allows people to buy things.