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You don't persuade people by hiding the truth from them either.

You point to the original article suggesting that an excise tax be put on the product when it enters the market. You are embedding the cost again, hiding it from the consumer who is the ultimate tax payer, and placing it on business. What's the point?

Be honest about it and the constant reminder of the cost will make it harder for politicians to raise the rate.

Remember, the tax isn't about the product's cost. It's about the cost of government.

I hope others who are more eloquent will answer as well.

You are embedding the cost again, hiding it from the consumer who is the ultimate tax payer, and placing it on business.

At least 30% of the taxes that would be collected by the FairTax will not be paid by citizens at the cash register, it would be paid by the federal, state, and local governments. The citizen will only see this hidden, embedded tax in increases in their state sales tax, their property tax, and state income tax.

The truth is not hidden from anyone. For example, a few years back Ross Perot proposed a 50¢/gal federal gas tax [excise] and all hell broke loose. People know the tax is there and how much it would cost them. There is just a whole lot of advantages for an excise tax over a sales tax besides the "in your face" zing factor:

1. Its simpler. You would be collecting the tax from a small number of distributors or wholesalers instead of a very large number of small and medium size businesses That would drop the cost of administering it way down.

2. It would be far less intrusive. With a NRST every small businessman may be subject to audits. Also as individuals, if you sell your car or have a garage sale you may get a visit or a call by the IRS. With an excise tax, the tax is paid once at the distributor. That would also allow the IRS to get smaller. And therefore the tax is less "on business" than a sales tax.

3. It is flexible. A NRST would have ONE rate for everything. With an excise tax, as we do today, you can have different rates based on the comodity, high on sin taxes like liquor and cigarettes and low on produce and food.