you end up paying more the more money you have.

No, you pay the more you spend. This incentivizes hoarding wealth in investments.

Flat taxes are regressive. The poor pay a much larger percentage of their disposable income because necessities are a larger percentage of their income.

If someone makes $1k a month and it costs $1k a month to live, how is it fair that we charge them the same amount of tax as someone who makes $2k and spends $1k to live? We're forcing that first person to suffer so the second person can hoard.

The point is that, because it's a flat rate, you end up paying more the more money you have.

The rich dont spend much of their money on consumer goods. They spend most of their money on investments, financial services, etc.

So when you and I spend nearly 100% of our money on consumer goods, we are paying 25% of our income in taxes. But the richest among us, whose consumer spending amounts to 10% (or less) of their earnings, pays just 2.5% of their income on taxes.

Flat rate taxes on consumer spending are wildly regressive.

Any sales tax like that is a tax on poor people primarily. Don't be fooled.

Holy shit, what a fucking awful take

In the EU, there are typically three levels of VAT, with members having some leeway to choose which applies to what.

Health services, public transport, rentals/housing and education are often exempt, while most groceries and medications are at a reduced rate. eg. Germany has 7% and 19% as the reduced and normal rates.

Income taxes are additional and (in most EU countries progressive). Social insurances are often separate, and similarly progressive.

This works alongside the basic welfare nets, which ensures that people have just enough to survive if they fell through the cracks. Without this net, even the reduced rates on groceries would seem punitive.

Not every EU country is equal, but there is a goal to provide these societal safety nets alongside fair taxation, which is invested back in society.