Why does the Constitution allow the Federal Government to levy taxes?The Constitution restricted the ablility of the Feds to tax and specifically forbids direct taxes like income tax, social security taxes and other payroll deductions. It was changed by Constitutional amendment. The promise was the payroll tax would never be more than 1% and would only apply to the very rich and would go away as soon as the cost of the Spanish American war was paid off.
The constitution and the amendments thereto are passed by the required majorities, and are binding law. The law of this land is that the law is the law, an it is is own justification. Promises are not law.
The Constitution allows the Federal Government to levy taxes to fund its operations and fulfill its responsibilities. This authority is derived from Article 1, Section 8 of the United States Constitution, which grants Congress the power to "lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts, and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States."
Initially, the Constitution did restrict the ability of the federal government to tax, and it did not include provisions for certain forms of taxes like income tax and payroll deductions. However, these limitations were altered through changes to the Constitution, specifically through constitutional amendments.
The Sixteenth Amendment, ratified in 1913, granted Congress the power to levy an income tax without apportioning it among the states. This amendment allowed the introduction of income tax as a means to generate revenue for the federal government. Subsequent legislation expanded the scope of income tax and introduced various payroll deductions such as social security taxes.
It is important to note that the specific details you mentioned about the payroll tax being limited to 1% and only applying to the wealthy, or the idea that it would be abolished after the cost of the Spanish-American War was paid off, are not accurate. The payroll tax, including social security taxes, has evolved over time, and its rates and applicability have been subject to legislative decisions.
In summary, the Constitution allows the federal government to levy taxes to fulfill its financial obligations and provide for the general welfare of the United States. However, the specific types of taxes and their rates are not directly specified in the Constitution and have been established through constitutional amendments and subsequent legislation.