The Constitution Under Social Justice by Antonio Rosmini

Author:Antonio Rosmini
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780739153512
Publisher: Lexington Books
Published: 2013-07-11T00:00:00+00:00

II. Capitation or Head Tax

What should we say about capitation, that is, head tax? That it is an unfair tax!

Because it is not equally distributed, as it falls equally on all, rich and poor.

Because it takes that part of substance which is necessary to the sustenance of the citizens, and that is reason enough for their sustenance to be immune from any burden, as we said before.

Here the question arises as to who are those who have no other income other than what is sufficient for their sustenance.

We answer that such are those who are manual workers, that is, they work for daily wages and only work as laborers. It is a maxim that is generally accepted by economists: The employment of manual labor obtains no other gratification than what is sufficient to the sustenance of life.

On the other hand—and rather, in consequence of this principle—if one wanted to impose a tax on the earnings of manual laborers, that would necessarily increase the cost of labor, and so that tax would obligate property to engage in a useless circle, imparting artificial motion on property, which is always inconvenient and harmful because it is against nature.

What we have said about capitation applies to all equal taxes. Equal taxes fall equally on the rich and on the poor, thus they are unjust and must be abolished.

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