Tax Reform

[A18]

Progressives only, then.

I'm for the sales tax, but it'll probably end up more like a flat tax.

[A18]

Anyone 18+ gets a rebate, plus a small amount per child.

[A18]

A VAT would lead to another complicated federal tax code for retailers, IMO.

I think we should start with a more simplified income tax and try to transition to a sales tax over time.

[A18]

Anyone 18+ gets a rebate, plus a small amount per child.

so in other words you would be screwed, unless your parents buy you everything. why  over high schoolers?

if everyone 18+ gets a rebate, wouldn't it be pointless then?

Just answer this flat out: would I have to pay more or less under this plan making about $10k a year? If more then it's a bad idea.

You only get a rebate to refund all taxes on poverty level spending.

Making $10,000 a year ... I don't know.

[A18]

Think of the huge burden that would put on retailers, having to look up what the VAT rate is.

Also, I don't like the socialist element to it.

[A18]

You get to keep your whole check though so you'd have more disposable income to purchase your goodies.

What about payroll taxes?

I think the sales tax abolishes federal corporate and payroll taxes.

[A18]

The idea is to pay people up front, so the sales tax doesn't matter if you're living paycheck to paycheck.

I agree with you that complexity is the main flaw, but as a libertarian-leaning Republican, I don't really like having to report my income to the government every year.

[A18]

Corporate taxes just get passed on to consumers (and/or lower employee wages).

We need to adopt a uniform method of taxation, whether it be sales, income, or whatever.

[A18]

All of these ideas are horrible, and if Bush even proposes one of them, it will constitute a betrayal of the American's people's trust in him.   He never mentioned any of them during the campaign, because to do so would have meant losing in a landslide.

Reactionary liberals...

[A18]

The idea is to pay people up front, so the sales tax doesn't matter if you're living paycheck to paycheck.

I agree with you that complexity is the main flaw, but as a libertarian-leaning Republican, I don't really like having to report my income to the government every year.

Then I would think you'd disapprove of giving the government an interest free loan for a good part of the year.

It's not a loan. It's yours to keep.

[A18]

There are a bunch of different sales tax proposals floating around.

Here's an overview: http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-272es.html

How to make it non-regressive: http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa-289.html

[A18]

The corporate tax should remain until we can kill off about half of the federal government's spending.

[A18]

All corporate taxes get passed on to consumers. We just need to leave it in place for a while so people don't realize they're being taxed during the transition period.