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To: Your Nightmare

Sorry, the Flat Tax

Is a consumption and production tax paying taxes on all income including investment income as well as the investment dollars themselves same as the current income tax, just with legal incidence for various subject of the tax reshuffled between business and the individual to hide its nature abit more completely from the perception of the voter:

"The Freedom Flat Tax Act of 2003:"

H.R.1783
Title: To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide taxpayers a flat tax alternative to the current income tax system.

http://burgess.house.gov/News/DocumentSingle.aspx?DocumentID=6027

"The flat tax concept is easy - there are two components, the individual wage tax and the business tax. Individuals pay a flat rate on their wage and pension income, and business are taxed on their profits minus their wage and pension expenses - this ensures that income is only taxed one time. Capital gains, dividends, and interest are only taxed once, and they are taxed at the business level. Additionally, the flat tax repeals the Alternative Minimum Tax and the marriage penalty."

 

The crucial point is that all three methods for implementing a consumption tax could be based on the same definition of the tax base. This greatly simplifies the tax economist’s task, since the economic impact would be the same for all three approaches.

source

Could be, unfortunately when we see what is actually proposed in Congress as a Flat Tax exceeds the consumption tax base as defined by definitions used by Jorgenson or any other economist.

How can you support the Flat Tax so fanatically when you aren't even familar with the elements that prevent it from being a consumption tax?

Is the VAT just the first one you came across. or did you just fall for the Steve Forbes Flat Tax sales job and then fall into the NCPA/Bartlett line when the Flat Tax lost its support and political luster?

730 posted on 02/08/2005 10:24:19 PM PST by ancient_geezer (Don't reform it, Replace it!!)
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To: ancient_geezer
How can you support the Flat Tax so fanatically when you aren't even familar with the elements that prevent it from being a consumption tax?
I don't support the flat tax fanatically. I could go with a VAT.
734 posted on 02/09/2005 4:42:15 AM PST by Your Nightmare
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To: ancient_geezer
Individuals pay a flat rate on their wage and pension income, and business are taxed on their profits minus their wage and pension expenses - this ensures that income is only taxed one time. Capital gains, dividends, and interest are only taxed once, and they are taxed at the business level.
The crucial point is that all three methods for implementing a consumption tax could be based on the same definition of the tax base. This greatly simplifies the tax economist’s task, since the economic impact would be the same for all three approaches.
Could be, unfortunately when we see what is actually proposed in Congress as a Flat Tax exceeds the consumption tax base as defined by definitions used by Jorgenson or any other economist.
Actually, that is consumption as defined by a economist. Sorry if you can't see it.

Do you think Jorgenson's NRST base included taxing government wages or foreign business's income earned in the U.S.? Those aren't part of the consumption base.
735 posted on 02/09/2005 6:38:57 AM PST by Your Nightmare
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