Why I am For the VAT

My seething mind | 4/26/10 | Moi4

[GeronL]

The UK has a 17.5% VAT.

They still elect socialists

[pnh102]

Every American should have to pay some income tax so they know how it feels to have your hard earned money seized and given to some one else....the only fair tax is one that no one escapes.

Precisely why we need the FairTax. :)

But an acceptable runner up would be a flat income tax with no withholding. Everyone would have to cut checks every quarter to pay the piper.

[GCC Catholic]

Move to Europe for 30 days and let me know how much you love the VAT after that.

THIS

At the moment, I live in Italy. Everything here is very expensive, and that is before one takes into consideration that the Euro is worth more than the dollar. It's a little better in other parts of the Eurozone, but if you stick to the 'decent' countries (France, Germany), I can't see it being any better.

I'm trying to hold out on buying some higher-priced non-essential things until the next time I come home (in about a year) and carrying them back over (unless I can get someone to carry them over in the meantime).

And these people still pay an income tax - and a yearly property tax if they own a house. I'm here as a seminarian, so I don't have to worry about those things; but I can't see how the Italians do it... and many don't. It's no surprise that the Italian youth live at home well into their 30s. And they have some services, like hospitals (that nobody dares go to unless they can't afford private care), but the country in general is pretty dumpy - I've heard it described as "a third-world country wrapped in Gucci."

This is the fruit of socialism. Don't advocate it - the chains NEVER DO come off.

[sport]

Probably because they won’t have to pay it.

[BilLies]

You have nailed it in 40 words, or less

[sport]

Go on hell! They are already on. The traitors put them on us and them November 4, 2008.

[Texas resident]

Had a thought. What if they are floating the vat idea in order to get people thinking about making purchases this year in order to not get hit with the vat later. This would increase economic activity leading up to the election where the rats could claim that the economy is perking up. Then after the election, WHAM we get hit with all existing taxes going up and a novel VAT slapped on us.
Thoughts?

[ontap]

Absolutely correct!!!!

[GCC Catholic]

This would increase economic activity leading up to the election where the rats could claim that the economy is perking up. Then after the election, WHAM we get hit with all existing taxes going up and a novel VAT slapped on us.

I can hear it now... "Oh, the economy is recovering and we need money to fund all of these great new programs! We can afford an extra tax now!"

Sounds like something the 'Rats would do. Sounds like something their freeloader voters would overlook.

[throwback]

Good point. VAT’s is just an add-on; leg chains to add to the cuffs.

[snowsislander]

To make a VAT palatable to the Democrat base, I believe it will have, as other posters have suggested, either

• a "prebate" where a monthly check from the federal government "pre-rebating" the imputed VAT calculated from some baseline, and likely to include a generous "prebate" for each person in a household or
• a VAT exemption card to be presented by the purchaser, much like many states have sales tax exemption papers that can be presented by businesses making purchases for their business.

A VAT generates enormous paperwork compared to a retail sales tax, and a simple retail sales tax is a better idea than an insidious tax like the VAT. However, I am against even a retail sales tax unless the income tax is ended by repealing the 16th Amendment, which I regard as utterly unlikely.

[mad_as_he$$]

Thank you for your input!!!

[Texas resident]

The rats pulled the rug out from under the economy to win the election on 08, so what’s to stop them from artifically prop it up this year to win again? I don’t put anything (I mean anything legal or not) past these *&^%$’s to maintain their power.

[eclecticEel]

Which does open the question of whether a VAT is even constitutional in the first place as the 16th amendment is specifically about income taxes (not that this administration cares, but perhaps the SC might have something to say about it regardless).

[calex59]

Ugh! There are more than just Obama voters who will get hit hard by a VAT. It's a regressive tax and will tear apart those who work hard and who are living day to day. Your post is selfish.

And extremely stupid.

[CSM]

Sure, the prices will rise. However the beauty of the VAT is that it keeps taxes hidden. As a result, the libtards can blame “evil corporations” for not being willing to suck it up and jus pay their “fair share.”

Hidden taxes are never a good thing.

[A_perfect_lady]

The UK has a 17.5% VAT. They still elect socialists

sigh... yeah, you're right. There's no getting through to these types, and really no winning this other than to get real conservatives into the White House. I'm just so mad I can hardly stand it anymore.

[GeronL]

I agree. Its not just the White House either.