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Are private school parents doubly taxed?


The "double taxation" argument is one of the most frequently encountered in the voucher debate. In it's standard form, it goes something like this:

For all it's rhetorical appeal, there is not much right with this argument, and plenty that is wrong with it. In fact, the argument flatly misuses the word "taxation," and removes the voucher controversy from its proper political context. Here's a summary of our criticisms:

Hence, we conclude that the "double taxation" argument misuses both language and logic to reach an incorrect conclusion. Private school parents aren't being taxed when they pay for private schools, and they have no right to claim any special status in the eyes of government simply because they choose to bypass the public school system and send their own money on private education. Fairness does not obligate government to pay for private schools.


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