Pay and bonuses received in a combat zone is paid without any income tax. The soldier is then allowed to spend it free of sales tax at a PX/BX/Commissary. Under your proposal, he would not be able to purchase items free of sales tax. So that small benefit is no longer available to him.
Pay and bonuses received in a combat zone is paid without any income tax. The soldier is then allowed to spend it free of sales tax at a PX/BX/Commissary. Under your proposal, he would not be able to purchase items free of sales tax. So that small benefit is no longer available to him.
You missed the point. You are free only of individual income tax. Any made make in the PX/BX/Commissary still includes the cummulative cost of federal taxation embedded in the price of a goods and service, no matter where you buy them. That amounts of 20-25% of current product prices.
As far a combat zones, the NRST is collected only within the United States. There is no provision in the bill to tax products sold and consumed overseas. As far as paying duty/NRST on bringing something back from a combat zone or foreign base the same rules apply with a $400 NRST exemption on any items carried back.
If you are concerned about making a provision for a federal exception or credit for purchases out of combat pay specifically for purchases within the US I suggest you contact Congressman Linder's office and bring the issue up.
Personally, as a Veteran, I figure having to report my and my families expenditures out of combat pay to the government to get an extra credit under the circumstances in not something I find very attractive.
Both as a citizen and a veteran. I certainly don't find the current income/payroll tax system worth keeping compared to of being taxed on expenditures out of combat pay under an NRST.
I figure it would be better to receive a raise in combat pay, which they really deserve, instead of worrying over taxes paid in a commissary. A raise in pay would provide even more options to the military family.
I don't find your arguments for more dependancy on government handouts to military families through the commissary or any other mechanism to be very persuasive.
I know as a former military person, that I would have much rather have the pay and the options that go with more pay, over being dependant upon base facilities and the whim of the service or Congress handouting bennies, therein lay the trap of dependancy as opposed to freedom and responsibility to make my own way in pride.
Provide our military personnel with a solid income for living on, they are worthy of the pay, not bennies and handouts that make them dependant children.