[dragonwriter]

> For example, you charge your tenants $1000 a month now. UBI kicks in, everyone gets an extra $500.

They don't, though, because UBI isn't funded by magical outside injection of value; the maximum mean additional after-tax income in any plausible UBI scheme (ignoring gains by induced economic growth or tax policy changes not germane to UBI funding) is $0. In a sense, it's a means-tested program where the means-test is within the taxing structure rather than a separate bureaucracy.

More to the point, though, local and interregional competition on rent, the same thing that stops landlords from capturing all the gains in income from all sources, is what constrains this (or not, if it is absent); UBI presents no special features in this regard.

[rarec]

While this is true, it is not magically funded, consider the average person. Taxes historically are taken out every pay check. This person is now receiving $X dollars a month "for free", insofar that it doesn't require any actual input on their end to receive this money. Rationally, of course it's not magical free money, but and the end of the day they do ultimately have X more a month to spend.

[dragonwriter]

> While this is true, it is not magically funded, consider the average person.

Yes, do.

> Taxes historically are taken out every pay check.

And witholding formulas will be adjusted to reflect the additional taxes to pay for UBI, so people with jobs or other income subject to withholding (with income high enough that, at the level of approximation provided by withholding formulas, they would pay some additional tax for UBI) will have their non-UBI regularly-received take-home pay commensurately reduced.

> This person is now receiving $X dollars a month "for free", insofar that it doesn't require any actual input on their end to receive this money. Rationally, of course it's not magical free money, but and the end of the day they do ultimately have X more a month to spend.

No, even in the take home pay before filing taxes and settling up at the end of the year sense, not everyone will get equal (or any) additional income under a UBI scheme, and the mean will still be around $0.

[rarec]

>not everyone will get equal (or any) additional income under a UBI scheme

Why call it universal base income if you can price yourself out of it like you can with normal welfare? I thought that was the entire point of the system.

[erik_seaberg]

The point is to avoid any effort on deciding who really needs it, and not create perverse incentives not to work. If your tax bill exceeds your UBI, your income is a lot higher than your UBI so you don't care that much.