We have had this discussion before. I assure you. Please Google the Brookings institution papers of the Fair Tax. It might be informative.
Only food grown for use on the farm shall not be taxed. Only other items produced for family consumption by families(knitten clothes, firewood, etc,) shall not be taxed. Used houses shall not be taxed but if the seller buys a new house, it will be taxesd at the going rate.
In 1999, Brookings, calculated that based on these provisions the initial tax rate would have to be 23%. The problem is, with such high taxes on consumption, we get less of it, and consequently, less production and the attendent problem of less personal income. In short order the tax rate would have to be at about 50%. There was no talk of exempting classes of so-called essential items or food types.
As for your ascertion that the personal exemption is a BIG, well, for those who work it certainly lowers the effective tax rate of the first several thousand dollars in income. But one does not “earn” income from it, unless of course one can take a child “earned” income credit. They are not the same thing as a BIG or “prebate”.
You’re aware that Brookings is Liberal?