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But how do you pay for it?

Mix and match funding sources, set the rates, and see whether your plan covers the full cost. Switch to Household Impact to see who gains and who pays.

Monthly UBI per adult
Amount $1,000 / mo
$200$2,000
~258M eligible adults · Total annual cost: $3.1T
🏦 Wealth tax $0/yr

Annual tax on net assets above $50M.

Elizabeth Warren's proposed 2% on wealth above $50M / 3% above $1B was estimated to raise ~$200B/yr. Critics cite capital flight risk and valuation difficulty for illiquid assets. Roosevelt Inst.
Rate on assets >$50M2%
0.5%5%
🛒 Value-added tax (VAT) $0/yr

Consumption tax applied at each production stage. Used by most developed nations.

A 10% VAT on the ~$18T US consumption base raises ~$950B/yr after exemptions. Regressive on its own — but UBI fully offsets this for anyone below median income. Yang2020
VAT rate10%
1%20%
🌾 Land value tax (LVT) $0/yr

Tax on the unimproved value of land — not buildings. Championed by Thomas Paine and Henry George.

Total US land value is ~$23 trillion. An LVT taxes location value created by society and infrastructure, not the owner's effort. One of the most efficient taxes known to economics. Paine, SSA archive
Annual rate on land value1%
0.5%5%
☁️ Carbon dividend $0/yr

Fee on fossil fuel emissions returned as equal cash dividends to all citizens.

The Climate Leadership Council proposes $40–$100/ton, returning all proceeds as citizen dividends. Alaska's oil fund is the working model. Revenue declines as emissions fall. CLC
Price per ton CO₂$50/ton
$20$150
📈 Financial transaction tax $0/yr

Small tax on stock, bond, and derivative trades. Primarily paid by high-frequency traders.

The CBO estimates a 0.1% rate raises ~$78B/yr on ~$100T in annual US financial transactions. CBO
Rate on transactions0.1%
0.05%0.5%
🤖 Automation levy $0/yr

Tax on companies replacing workers with automation. Proposed by Bill Gates.

Companies profiting from displacement pay for the safety net beneath displaced workers. Estimated ~$1.5T in automated labor substitution value annually. Key challenge is defining "automated displacement." Quartz/Gates
Levy rate10%
5%30%
💼 Higher top income tax rates $0/yr

Raise marginal rates on incomes above $400K. The US top rate was 91% in the 1950s.

Each point above the current 37% top rate raises ~$15–20B/yr. The top rate was 91% through 1963, 70% through 1980. Tax Policy Center
Top marginal rate (income >$400K)45%
37% (current)99%
Monetary financing

Redirect existing program budgets into UBI, reducing the net cost. Toggle programs whose spending would be replaced by a direct cash floor.

Social Security — SSI supplement Supplemental Security Income redirected to UBI floor
$65B/yr
SSDI (Disability Insurance) Income floor replaced by UBI; disability-specific needs kept separate
$162B/yr
Unemployment Insurance (UI) UBI eliminates need for temporary income replacement
$33B/yr
SNAP (Food Stamps) Cash replaces in-kind food vouchers with full flexibility
$113B/yr
TANF (Cash Assistance) Replaced by universal, non-stigmatized UBI floor
$17B/yr

UBI generates economic returns that offset its gross cost. Toggle the savings and growth effects you consider credible. These reduce the net cost of the program.

GDP & consumer spending growth UBI flows directly into local economies, boosting consumer spending and GDP. The Roosevelt Institute estimated a $1,000/mo UBI could grow the economy by $2.5T over 8 years, generating hundreds of billions in new tax revenue.
A 2017 Roosevelt Institute macroeconomic model found a fully-funded UBI of $1,000/month would increase GDP by 12.56% — roughly $2.5T — over 8 years. Even conservative estimates project meaningful multiplier effects, as low-income recipients spend virtually all of a UBI on goods and services in their local communities. Roosevelt Institute
$0/yr
Reduced healthcare costs Financial stress is a leading driver of poor health outcomes. UBI pilots consistently show reduced hospitalizations, fewer ER visits, and lower rates of chronic illness — generating measurable government healthcare savings.
Manitoba's Mincome experiment found hospitalization rates fell 8.5% during the pilot. The Stockton SEED study showed significant improvements in mental health. If UBI reduces US healthcare utilization by even 2–3%, the savings to Medicare, Medicaid, and employer-sponsored insurance would be substantial. Estimated at ~$100–200B/yr under conservative assumptions. Forget (2011)
$0/yr
Reduced crime & incarceration costs Poverty is a primary driver of crime. The US spends ~$80B/yr incarcerating 2.3 million people. UBI addresses the economic desperation at the root of most property crime and drug offenses.
The US spends approximately $35,000–$60,000 per prisoner per year. Studies on cash transfer programs consistently show reductions in property crime. A conservative 5% reduction in incarceration costs would save ~$4B/yr directly, plus additional costs in police, courts, and social services. Vera Institute
$0/yr
Welfare administration savings The US operates dozens of means-tested programs with overlapping bureaucracies. Consolidating them into a single universal payment eliminates enormous administrative overhead.
Administrative costs for means-tested programs average 10–20% of total spending. SNAP alone costs ~$6B/yr to administer. A universal cash transfer requires only identity verification and payment processing — a far leaner system. Consolidating major programs could save $30–60B/yr in administrative costs alone. CBPP
$0/yr
Increased workforce participation & tax base UBI reduces the "welfare cliff" that discourages people from taking jobs. Pilots in Stockton and Finland showed employment either held steady or increased — broadening the income tax base.
In Stockton, full-time employment among recipients doubled from 28% to 40%. Finland's pilot showed no reduction in employment. More workers earning income means more income tax and payroll tax revenue, partially offsetting the gross cost of the program. A 1% increase in labor force participation generates roughly $50–100B in additional tax revenues annually. SEED
$0/yr
Poverty reduction multiplier Every dollar invested in reducing poverty generates returns in education outcomes, reduced social services use, and long-term tax contributions. Childhood poverty alone costs the US an estimated $1T/yr in lost productivity.
A 2018 Child Trends analysis estimated the annual cost of childhood poverty at $1.03 trillion — through reduced adult earnings, increased crime, and higher health spending. Eliminating child poverty through a UBI floor would generate long-run fiscal savings that dwarf the short-run cost. Child Trends
$0/yr
Your UBI plan
Select funding sources to see breakdown
Monthly per adult$1,000
Program cost / yr$3.1T
Funding + savings / yr$0
Funding gap
–$3.1T
Funded0%

No sources selected yet

Revenue estimates are illustrative, based on published policy analyses. Real figures depend on legislation, enforcement, and behavioral responses. Roosevelt Institute
Household impact
Income $45,000/yr
$0$250k+
$24,000 UBI received / yr
$4,500 Added tax burden / yr
+$19,500
Net annual impact
Tax incidence by income group
Group UBI/yr Tax/yr Net
Household estimates use approximate tax incidence by income bracket. Illustrative only — not financial advice. Real tax burden depends on specific legislation.