Voters Reject a VAT (Step Away From Value-Added Anything.)

ATR ^ | 11/8/10 | Ryan Ellis

[Andrea19]

Now that the dust has settled from the great election tsunami of 2010, it's worth looking at some of the under-the-radar issues. One of these is public support for a value-added tax (VAT).

According to exit polling conducted by Kellyanne Conway's the polling company, inc./WomanTrend, a super-majority of voters oppose an add-on VAT:

• 63 percent of voters were opposed to a VAT, including 48 percent strongly opposed
• A majority of every demographic (age, race, ethnicity, education level, gender, region, parental status, and marital status) opposed a VAT
• All income levels opposed a VAT, with the strongest opposition (68 percent) coming from families making less than $25,000 per year...

Read more: http://www.atr.org/voters-reject-vat-a5631#ixzz14oUb19cy

[Andrea19]

A VAT in addition to the income tax is a bad concept, whether a majority of Americans support it or not; but it is pleasing to know the people do not support it presently.

Help promote Conservative activism here & here & here & here

[BenKenobi]

Horrible, horrible deal. Glad to see 48 percent are strongly opposed.

[napscoordinator]

A VAT instead of Federal Income Taxes, Property Taxes and State Taxes and what the heck SS Taxes would be wonderful. I think they could go four percent on EVERYTHING and have plenty of funds. Does anyone agree with that 4 percent? Or would it have to be more?

[Pessimist]

“•63 percent of voters were opposed to a VAT.” That’s not that high, since - given other verbage in the article - they posed it as an “add-on” VAT (ie in addition to regular taxes).

Wonder what it would be if they posed it as “in place of” regular taxes?

Not that I would trust politicians to not claim the later but do the former anyway.

Two things about sales type taxes: They’re not progressive, and they’re harder to avoid with loopholes, etc.

[Pessimist]

“Does anyone agree with that 4 percent? Or would it have to be more?”

I would think much more.

I think federal spending is around 20% of GDP as it is - not to mention state and local.

Think more like 30%.

[rightly_dividing]

I was shopping for something on the Internet one night, when I looked at the item at a site that had what I wanted, I noticed the price was in Euros. Before leaving the site I noticed the VAT on the item. It was 17% I don't know if this is an across the board rate or just for that category of items.

[dhs12345]

But a consumption tax is tied to consumption. So, if we stop consuming, then revenues drop and the government bureaucrats panic. They would never allow the taxpayers to have that much control.