Letters: Seniors hit hard by tax unfairness

In his column about the unfairness of the federal tax system, Peter Goldmark failed to mention another segment of the population that is being treated unjustly: retirees receiving Social Security benefits, up to 85 percent of which are subject to taxation ["Our unfair tax rates favor the rich," Opinion, Feb. 26].

Each extra dollar in individual retirement account withdrawals or other income can result in more Social Security benefits becoming taxable. Even tax-exempt municipal bond interest may not be tax-free for retirees, since it is included in the computation for determining how much of the Social Security benefit is taxable.

Because of the tax on Social Security benefits, some middle-income retirees pay a marginal tax rate that is higher than for the group Goldmark calls the "superrich."

George Rand, Franklin Square
 

The headline on this column should have been, "Our unfair tax rates clobber seniors." I have been retired for more than 10 years, and I can see that moderate-income seniors who want to stay in their homes, near their families, are being clobbered because our real estate and school taxes are skyrocketing. We have to pay federal income tax on our Social Security income and IRAs. Taxes on gas, oil and electricity are unbelievable.

Kenneth Ruckh, Garden City