Here goes Don Quixote Staheli again, tilting this time not against the voucher windmill, but against the current income tax system in the United States. I haven't done a whole lot of study on it yet, but this is my announcement that I support a Consumption Tax to replace the Internal Revenue Service.My brother is an accountant, so he probably won't really like this post too much, but I support a consumption tax instead of an income tax. There, I said it.
So I submit to you, the Committee of the Whole, my initial ideas on a consumption tax. (That way, if I have any hair-brained ideas, I can change my mind!! ;-) )
I know it's not an easy proposition. Because after all, there is still the behemoth known as the IRS. Any Consumption Tax would probably need a Constitutional amendment at the same time to repeal the 16th Amendment. Ron Paul reminded us of this a couple years ago:
One tax reform idea tacitly endorsed by Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan calls for a national retail consumption tax to replace the existing income tax. Absent the outright repeal of the 16th Amendment, however, we cannot be sure that an income tax would not reappear at some point. One can easily imagine popular support for retaining the income tax on the “very rich,” which of course is how the 16th amendment originally was sold to a gullible public in the 1910s.He also said
A pure consumption tax like the Fair Tax would be better than the current system only if we truly did away with the income tax by repealing the 16th amendment. Otherwise, we could end up with both the income tax and a national sales tax. A consumption tax also provides more transparency and less complexity. But the real issue is total spending by government, not tax reform. In other words, why change the tax structure if spending stays the same?I recently listened to an interview of presidential candidate Mike Huckabee on The Right Balance with Greg Allen. Here are some notes that I took of the interview (I had to pull over to the side of the road a couple times to type them into my Palm Treo 700WX smartphone, as I was en route to work while listening to TRB).
Governor Huckabee said that there is already a 22 percent built-in tax for everything we consume, because corporations pass their costs along at that rate--after all they don't pay taxes, you do! The US already has the highest corporate tax rate in the world, which encourages corporations to hide their companies and accounts "off-shore". The part that I really like about his plan is that each family that lives below the poverty level would receive a consumption tax rebate check to bring them back up to the poverty level.
Here are some concerns:
- Will we need the IRS to send all the rebate checks out?
- How complicated would it be for companies to upgrade their computers and cash registers to account for this new tax?
- How long (if ever) would it take for corporations to reduce the cost of the goods they sell to us by 22% to match the taxes they no longer have to pay?
Getting rid of all the current income tax loopholes would be much better.
Answering your concerns:
ReplyDeleteWill we need the IRS to send all the rebate checks out? Anyone working for the IRS will hope so.
How complicated would it be for companies to upgrade their computers and cash registers to account for this new tax? I don't think it would be hard - any retail operation already has to track sales tax and they have to change the rates frequently so making that change for them would be simple. For businesses that don't deal with sales tax now - they can learn from their retail peers.
How long (if ever) would it take for corporations to reduce the cost of the goods they sell to us by 22% to match the taxes they no longer have to pay? Companies won't lower their prices to pass the savings on to us - they will only lower their prices if they see it as a competitive advantage. I believe it will happen, but there's no telling how fast.
When addressing the question "How long (if ever) would it take for corporations to reduce the cost of the goods they sell to us by 22% to match the taxes they no longer have to pay?" David is partially right. The other factor to put into that equation is that they will have to pay taxes on product they have to buy and then still pass it on to the consumer.
ReplyDeleteI'm more of a flat tax person. I'd rather fill out a tax return postcard than deal with a tax on everything I buy. And I don't think the 16th amendment repeal will happen.
ReplyDeleteWith the sales tax, sending out rebate checks seems too complicated, and ripe for fraud. And what economic effect would there be from the increased prices for goods? It's true that people would be saving money by not paying income tax, but they might not think of that when they're suffering from sticker shock.
I like all of it, except the idea of sending out rebate checks. My thoughts are the everyone should pay their fair share.
ReplyDeleteSomething I might be in favor of in lieu of the rebate checks would the elimination of taxes on very basic foods. Bread, milk etc.
The realistic side of me doesn't see this happening, but I'd like to think that at some point the America people with realize that they have been had, and will work together to get something like this in place.
Some concerns :
ReplyDeleteFairtax proponents do not adequately challenge the income tax, Current Fairtax legislation that I have seen allows for a continued income tax and the IRS. Wishful thinking that the greatness of the Fairtax will just make the income tax disappear. More likely, we would end up with both and be no better off than Europe and Canada with both heavy progressive income taxes + a huge VAT.
The rebate scheme "pre-bate" is a dream-come-true for socialists, central-planners and communists alike. In no time at all, we would all be fixated on the latest and greatest political saviors to raise our prebates, adjust our poverty adjustments, wipe our noses and tuck us in at night.
Since when did Ron Paul become "angry or demanding", Ian? You didn't score any points with me to your beloved Huckabee by that comment, especially as Congressman Paul is a mild-mannered statesman who I sometimes wish would get just a bit angry and demanding.