White House Signals New Push for Value-Added Tax?

ATR ^ | 2011-08-30 | John Kartch

[92nina]

...President Obama, who in April 2010 deemed a VAT “something that would be novel for the United States”, announced on Monday his intention to nominate Princeton University’s Alan B. Krueger to head the Council of Economic Advisors. In a 2009 blog post for the New York Times, Krueger wrote: “Why not pass a 5 percent consumption tax to take effect two years from now?”

Even when pressed, the Obama White House has never ruled out a VAT. As the timeline below illustrates, those in and around the White House have been flirting with a VAT from the earliest days:

December 18, 2008: The Obama transition team announces VAT advocate Ezekiel Emanuel’s appointment as special advisor for healthcare at the Office of Management and Budget. Emanuel had long pushed for a VAT as a way to pay for government-funded universal healthcare.

Sept. 25, 2009: John Podesta, former head of Obama’s transition team, floats the VAT on Bloomberg Television’s “Political Capital with Al Hunt”: “There’s going to have to be revenue in this budget,” said Podesta,

A so-called consumption tax would “create a balance” with European and Japanese economies and “could potentially have a substantial effect on competitiveness,” said Podesta. Podesta said such a tax may be regressive, but can be balanced by exempting some products and using “the money to support low-wage workers.”

Sept. 29, 2009: Obama advisor Paul Volcker suggests a carbon tax and a VAT as a way to raise large amounts of revenue. "Those are the two big ones. I'd love to see the expenditures held in check so we don't have to do that."

Sept. 30, 2009: The Center for American Progress—a group with close White House ties—releases a draft report encouraging the Obama Administration to consider a VAT. The report concludes...

Read more: http://www.atr.org/white-house-signals-new-push-value-a6414#ixzz1WWuxmhiy

[92nina]

Although the imposition of a value-added tax (VAT) would violate President Barack Obama’s central campaign promise – a “firm pledge”

Take this article and others I found to the fight to the Libs on their own turf; put the Left on the defensive at at Digg and at Reddit and in Stumbleupon and Delicious

[muawiyah]

So, a twofer. They want a VAT to impoverish Americans so they can no loner afford the products made in America, and they want a carbon tax so we all have to move to Mississippi for the winter months.

They are NUTZ.

[napscoordinator]

In Europe they add that into the item so it is not necessarily noticed. However, I am sure here they wouldn’t do that and you would end up with federal, state and VAT on the receipt. Is this going DIRECTLY to the debt?????

[E. Pluribus Unum]

We already have a VAT.

It is called the "corporate income tax."

The federal government is just looking for a new pocket to pick.

[subterfuge]

Trial balloon.

Run it up the flagpole and see who salutes.

Owebama must have heard Americans want to be taxed more on his million dollar “listening tour.”

[Sir Napsalot]

So the new ‘Austen Goolsbee’ (Alan Krueger) is the same old Austen Goolsbee (aka Christina Roamer)?

All academics think the same way? They only have on playbook, and that is the golden rule they will follow no matter what?

[concerned about politics]

...President Obama, who in April 2010 deemed a VAT “something that would be novel for the United States”,

That's true. Never before in America have so many people been so enslaved and so oppressed by their own government. Never before have we lost so much liberty in such a short time.

[MNJohnnie]

Look at the groups pushing this. They are not going to use it pay down the Debt, they want it to spend on new “gimme” programs.

[wilco200]

So, a twofer. They want a VAT to impoverish Americans so they can no loner afford the products made in America, and they want a carbon tax”

Actually, it’s a three-fer. they don;t want it to start for two years - when a Republican is in office.

[SMARTY]

What??? How??

I ALREADY have the ‘Obamacare dil&^’ up my hoo ha NOW, how are they going to shove the ‘VAT dil&* up there???

[econjack]

This is a REALLY bad idea. For those who don't know, a VAT tax is levied at any point in the production process where that process adds value to the final product. Milton Friedman pointed out years ago that, for something as simple as a loaf of bread, there are 67 steps in the production process. Can you imagine the administrative morass this kind of tax will entail, let alone the number of new agencies and bureaucrats that will have to be hired? While this fits in with Obozo's Marxists leanings, it should make the rest of us scream at our representatives in Washington: DON'T YOU DARE PASS SUCH A TAX.

[LostInBayport]

Liberals will not be happy until those of us who work for a living are forced to use our savings and assets to pay for our daily needs...while those who do not work are fat, well-heeled and worry-free because our decline funds that check they receive every week/month/day/hour.

A VAT on top of income taxes, sales taxes, excise taxes, registration fees, property taxes, the forced purchase of health insurance...remember that kid’s game from the 1970s, “Don’t Tip the Waiter”?

[tellw]

VAT tax on car sales and home sales will go over really well. </sarcasm>

[isthisnickcool]

A VAT will destroy the country. Or more accurately, destroy it more and faster.

Treason! Treason! Treason!

[ClearCase_guy]

Obama: "I want tax hikes!"
Republicans: "Not gonna happen."

Obama: "But I really want tax hikes!"
Republicans: "Not gonna happen."

Obama: "Here's an idea. Something different. Something you're really gonna like -- a stupid tax hike."
Republicans: "We'll check with Boehner."

[gunnyg]

The tax-Collector right out of Popeye comix...and why not all is fair game in today’s america....

[Cheetahcat]

And the prefolded Weeper of the house will go along with this?

[Steel Wolf]

A VAT is a great way to clog the arteries of any economy. Just a nice little coat of taxes covering everything. What could go wrong?

[Venturer]

Of course they want more , and like you said , Not one dime will go to pay down the debt.

We have the Feds looking for new tax’s, States looking foe more tax’s, County looking for more tax’s. Then we have the EPA wanting to put coal out of business so we cannot turn on the electric. We have the Feds stop[ping drilling so fuel is higher, then we have the feds subsidising Green technology that doesn’t work.

Got dam How much blood do they think they can get out of us.

They give us 1,2 % on our savings and raise inflation by 3%, we are losing money every time we save it.

The Government wants to take it all and feed us like they feed the people in N. Korea. How much more of this sh!t do they think we are going to take?

[Gen.Blather]

“I am sure here they wouldn’t do that and you would end up with federal, state and VAT on the receipt.”

My understanding of the VAT is that it’s invisible to the purchaser. Each manufacturer along the way pays the value added tax on the product he buys. The next manufacturer pays for his additions. So, company A buys a barrel of oil and refines it to plastic base material. Company B buys the base material and pays the VAT on it and makes a cell-phone case. Company C buys the cell phone case, pays the VAT, and builds a cell phone into it. Company D buys the cell phone, pays the VAT and sells the cell phone at retail. The retail customer sees state and federal taxes only. The various VAT’s are incorporated into the final taxed price.

Incidentally, a VAT will increase the price which will increase the take on the federal, state and local taxes on that item. As we know, increased prices lead to lower demand. The take on the federal, state and local taxes may drop, prompting the various agencies to raise their taxes to compensate.