[GregoryFul]

You forgot the category of people who have after tax savings. In my case, nearing retirement, I have considerable after tax savings that would suffer an immediate haircut in value due to the change in tax on income vs. tax on spending.

[lewislynn]

I have considerable after tax savings

That isn't possible with the income tax. The only way anyone could ever accumulate wealth is if Congress passes the Fairtax.
< /sarcasm >

[Principled]

Your after tax savings will be taxed when spent. That is not in question. The analysis, however, goes beyond that. There are a myriad of factors that will determine your overall position. Most importantly, your effective nrst rate, any pretax savings, and any capital assets held.

Perhaps pigdog can provide that link to the calculator?

In any event your decision is solely on your net purchasing power?

[Principled]

http://www.fairtaxcalculator.org/

found it above.

[groanup]

I have considerable after tax savings that would suffer an immediate haircut in value due to the change in tax on income vs. tax on spending.

IN what form? Stock? Long term capital gains will not be taxed. Bonds? No more tax on interest. Savings account at banks? No more tax on interest. Mutual funds? Long term gains no longer taxed. Capital gains distributions, dividends, interest no longer taxed. REal estate? No capital gains taxes even on rental property.

In most scenarios of "considerable after tax savings" there is probably a long term capital gain. Immediate gain of 15% on the increase. WHat form of investment do you have?

[pigdog]

"... nearing retirement, I have considerable after tax savings that would suffer an immediate haircut in value due to the change in tax on income vs. tax on spending ..."

Let's take a look at that and get some idea of what might happen:

Let's assume your and your wife have an $800,000 savings account and that when you go on S/S and retire you'll receive about $21,600 per year. If you invest your savings and earn 6.25% annually this would give you an annual income of $50,000 plus the S/S or $71,600 - none of which income is taxed. With a reasonable assumption of things not taxed under the FairTax of $17,900 - which may even be low - let's say you spend the rest on taxable consumption giving an effective FairTax rate of 14.61%.

The untaxed things are expenditures such as such as:

1) Mortgage payments (p&i both).
2) Other loans and credit cards (p&i also).
3) State and local taxes including property taxes.
4) Educational tuition payments.
5) The entire amount of savings/investments.
6) Money contributed to church/charity/political organizations.
7) Money given as gifts to others.
8) Used items such as real estate, cars, furniture, etc. on which tax had already been paid.

Most likely if you remained under the income tax only the $50,000 in investment earnings would be taxable (depending upon the type of account and intervening changes in tax laws) and that would put you into a fairly low income tax effective rate also - something like 15.88% (higher than the FairTax effective rate) so that the "haircut" would not be as great as you might fear - and you have the advantage of lowered prices under the FairTax and no government mischief to alter what might be taxable income - perhaps a larger chunk of S/S to be taxed by that time ... who knows. In fact with some different information you might do even better.

Also keep in mind that under the income tax you will be paying an additional tax amount in the form of higher prices - an amount that FairTax opponents have stipulated as 9% - on everything that you buy (even the S/S funds) - whicvh would make your income tax effective rate 24.88%.

And keep in mind that the effective FairTax rate is not paid except when you decide to consume taxable items. Your annual prebate would be $4,508 so it would obviously be to your benefit to try to even increase your savings under the FairTax were that possible.