[Armedanddangerous]

I'd like to know more about this. In principle, I like the idea.

[michaelbfree]

"If you consume $40,000 a year and you make $50,000 a year, would you feel it is fair if a guy who made a half a million dollars a year but spent $40,000 a year paid the same tax you do? I think you wouldn't feel it's fair," said Buck Chapoton, former assistant treasury secretary.

What a stupid argument, people that make half a million a year do not limit their spending to $40,000 - jackass should be fired from his job for even suggesting something so outlandishly ignorant

[afnamvet]

Does anyone know if this has been introduced as a bill yet? Number?

[kellynla]

23cents?
man, that seems verrrrry high???
so they're throwing out the Social Security tax too...
I thought I read somewhere that a 10-15 national sales tax would cover it.

[Mr. K]

FLAT TAX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sales tax SUCKS HARD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Go take a look at Canada- they HATE IT WITH A PASSION

[snowsislander]

Proponents seek a 23-cent national sales tax on all retail goods, everything from groceries to clothes, cars to electronics.

If they are referring to the Fair Tax, it is a 30% national sales tax. 23% is the correct rate to compare it with income taxes; 30% is the correct rate to compare it with other sales tax.

[Bean Counter]

Brit Hume discussed this with one of his guests yesterday, and it is something that the President would like to start a National Debate about.

There's no doubt that it would be a watershed event in American History...it requires a Constitutional Amendment to repeal the Income Tax, and probably another Amendment to codify the National Sales Tax. Both would require a Super-Majority in both houses of Congress, and approval by 3/4 of the States in order to pass. Implementation, if approved, would have to be very carefully planned out.

The thought is that if you free Corporations form the burden of payroll tax contributions, prives on thier product should drop significantly, making room to comfortably add in the 23% ( the number varies, depending on who you ask) sales tax; leaving prices about the same. In theory.

IMHO, there needs to be a mandatory price reduction as part of the deal. How we do that is open for discussion.

In any case, I think at this point it is a good thing to open a reasoned dialog, and try to avoid hysteria and hyperbole from both the Left and the Right. Something this important is worthy of reasoned discussion by reasonable people.

[exnavy]

It's the only constitutional form of taxation. I like it.

[Centurion2000]

"If you consume $40,000 a year and you make $50,000 a year, would you feel it is fair if a guy who made a half a million dollars a year but spent $40,000 a year paid the same tax you do?

Why the hell not ? Since when should success be punished ?

[rudypoot]

"If you consume $40,000 a year and you make $50,000 a year, would you feel it is fair if a guy who made a half a million dollars a year but spent $40,000 a year paid the same tax you do? I think you wouldn't feel it's fair," said Buck Chapoton, former assistant treasury secretary.

What's wrong with being a tight-wad? OHHH I get it, being a tight-wad is only bad when you deny the government more of your money.

[bullseye1911]

Only way anyone would buy in would be with a Constitutional Amendment abolishing the income tax. Even then, it will be a tough sell. What's to stop Congress from raising the sales tax from 23% to say 50% or more?

[shield]

Since the 14th Amendment was NEVER ratified by 2/3's of states (actually ratified by only 3 states) the income tax is illegal.

[mysterio]

Sales tax is definitely not the way to go. If the Republicans push it, the cost politically will be enourmous. With a sales tax, the rich truly will pay less and the poor truly will pay more. It pours gasoline on the class warfare fire. I think a flat tax is a much better option.

[lilylangtree]

Too much centralized control that would make it real easy for the DC politicians (demoncRAT, pubbies & indep) to start increasing the sales tax--at first it would start to creep, then bang it'll increase quite noticeably all under the disguise of "we've got to balance the budget but we won't decrease spending."

[ApesForEvolution]

Bump for eliminating the IRS/IRC, the Constitutionally-repugnant, tyrannical, Federal Mafia enslavement system...

[F16Fighter]

"For many, the idea of a world without the Internal Revenue Service is very seductive."

Not to mention delusional.

ANY supplemental 'National Tax' or VAT is yet another gub'mint scam to suck more blood out of the citizenry -- and that's what it would be -- supplemental.

The IRS is not going anywhere.

[mike182d]

"If you consume $40,000 a year and you make $50,000 a year, would you feel it is fair if a guy who made a half a million dollars a year but spent $40,000 a year paid the same tax you do? I think you wouldn't feel it's fair," said Buck Chapoton, former assistant treasury secretary.

Actually, yes, that would be fair. Its entirely consistent with the "you get what you pay for" theory. In other words, those who benefit most from what America offers, put the most into it.

Of course, taking as much money as we can from rich people right from their pockets, simply because they're rich, and redistributing their income to those who did not earn it is a much more fair system of taxation /sarcasm

[beekay]

relacing the income tax with a national sales tax means that those who have savings will be double taxed. once when they earned the money that they have managed to save and the second time when they now spend it. it seems that it would be hard to exempt spending from savings that have already been taxed under the current income tax system.

[Steve_Seattle]

Does this mean a 23 percent tax, or 23 cents? If you buy a $500,000 house, the tax is 23 cents, and if you buy a pack of gum the tax is also 23 cents? That seems ridiculous, so i assume it must mean 23 percent. But 23 percent sems high; for a $20,000 car, you'd pay $4,600 in federal tax. Who's going to support that?

[Reagan is King]

"If you consume $40,000 a year and you make $50,000 a year, would you feel it is fair if a guy who made a half a million dollars a year but spent $40,000 a year paid the same tax you do? I think you wouldn't feel it's fair," said Buck Chapoton, former assistant treasury secretary.

It's hard to believe this guy worked during the Reagan administration when you see him make a ridiculous statement like that.