5. Suppose you are a typical person in the U.S. economy.

You pay a flat 4 percent of your income in a state income tax and 15.3 percent of your labor earnings in federal payroll taxes (employer and employee shares combined). You also pay federal income taxes as in Table 12-3. How much tax of each type do you pay if you earn $20,000 a year? Taking all taxes into account, what are your average and marginal tax rates? What happens to your tax bill and to your average and marginal tax rates if your income rises to $40,000?

6. Some states exclude necessities, such as food and clothing, from their sales tax. Other states do not.

Discuss the merits of this exclusion. Consider both efficiency and equity.