erbalanced with conditional dignity patchworks. Earned income tax credits, and student assistance are other conditional programs meant to encourage constructive social participation.
Replacing programs and non-refundable tax credits one at a time
Any program or tax credit can be replaced with a refundable tax credit at equivalent cost. As a simple example the basic and spousal Canadian federal tax credits are equivalent to $1750 each clawed back at 15% of income. As non-refundable tax credits these just work as if taxable levels of income start at $11500 for singles or $23000 for couples. A refundable tax credit of the same amount would not affect those who earn over those levels, but would benefit those who earn less. An equivalent social cost amount might be $1650 refundable tax credit to account for the slightly higher tax expense of providing refunds to those currently ineligible. Canada has a patchwork of antipoverty programs, some with considerable administration cost and waste, and so noone has the (public) view that the poor should not receive aid. If enough tax credits and programs can be eliminated (replaced with refundable tax credits), then poverty can be directly eliminated as well, all without bureaucratic burden on the poor or tax payers.
The US Food stamp program (SNAP)
Is a department of agriculture program, that by definition serves the agriculture industry, and provides those with income below $14000 and cash balance below $2000 (higher for larger families) that allows recipients to purchase agricultural goods with stamps. An average benefit of $133.08/mo cost $76.6B (in total direct benefits) implies 48M Americans received the benefit in 2013.
These costs don't include policing individuals and businesses for failing to comply with Agricultural industry' subsidy mandate. It is for instance, illegal to trade them for cash, or to try to buy toothpaste and tampons with them. There is bureaucratic overhead as well. The direct cost to 100M US taxpayers is $766/taxpayer/yr. With policing/bureaucracy, lets pad this to $1000/taxpayer, for a benefit that averages $1600.
Replacing the program with a $1000 refundable tax credit would have equivalent cost, but would upset current recipients since it involves a $600 benefit cut. However, that refundable tax credit would be $1000 tax cut to tax payers, and a $2000 refundable tax credit instead accompanied with a $1000 tax increase, would still be an average $1000 net tax cut ($2000 - $1000) to tax payers, and an average $400 benefit increase (2000 - 1600) to SNAP recipients. All without bureaucratic and restriction hassles. A $1600 refundable tax credit with $600 average tax increase is a net 0 cost/benefit option other than bureaucratic and policing hassles inflicted on people. A $2000 or $2300 option better reflects the maximum possible SNAP benefits. Each individual refundable tax credit policy replacement contributes to a holistic program that permit other programs and laws designed ot protect the vulnerable from a harsh world to be reduced or replaced when permission burdens for survival in the harsh world are reduced.
Profit potential in income equality
Those who work depend on as many people as possible being able to afford their wares. Billionaires only want one car, phone, meal. The largest and most profitable companies all depend on many small transactions to earn their income. Income equality through taxes and redistribution directly enhances the profitability, amount and usefulness of work. It helps those with the highest incomes the most, because by definition, they have the highest share of the economy flowing through them.
Useful alternatives and supplements to UBI
The SNAP replacing refundable tax credit proposal is a pure basic income. Any tax hikes to pay for the refundable tax credits are general and universal.
GAI (Guaranteed Annual Income) is a refundable tax credit with a reasonably low targeted clawback rate that brings the benefit to 0 at a certain income level (The Canadian child benefit above is a GAI-structured refundable tax credit). Comp