[Protagoras]

So what? If you think people will be honest about it, you are incorrect IMO. People who now are scared to death to cheat on their taxes in a meaningful way will pay 23% less for services on the sly without batting an eye.

Every tax has problems, that's what happens when you steal from people. They hide their money.

[kevkrom]

So what? If you think people will be honest about it, you are incorrect IMO. People who now are scared to death to cheat on their taxes in a meaningful way will pay 23% less for services on the sly without batting an eye. Every tax has problems, that's what happens when you steal from people. They hide their money.

Of course they hide their money -- no one but a fool volunteers to be taxed if there's another viable option.

There will be evasion and cheating -- this is a fact of human nature independent of taxation system. But it certainly will be no easier to cheat under the NRST -- with only 20 million tax collection points (instead of 200 million individual and corporate filers) and the fact that 80% of the sales come from only 20% of retail businesses, I find it extremely unlikely that sales tax cheating will exceed that of the income tax.

Do you think that Sears, Wal-Mart, or McDonald's will risk tax evasion charges to help you save a few bucks?