[ancient_geezer]

Still, a flat income tax seems less complicated and more private than a sales tax.

What it private about every individual citizen having to report thier income and swear to it to the government, and be open to audit if the IRS chooes not to believe you postcard statement of what your income is?

What is more complicated about a tax that is collected from the individual when the make a retail purchase as is common in virtually every state of the United States, and would be administered by the same folks? Especially considering the fact the Flat Tax retains payroll taxes and the FairTax repeals them as well as all income taxes where the Flat Tax just replaces one income tax with another and keeps the IRS in place besides.

I suggest you read Vern Hovens piece about just what the ramifications to the business and the individial of the flat tax proposals in Congress acutally do from a tax preparer's perspective:

Flat Tax as Seen by a Tax Preparer
by Vern Hoven

[GVnana]

What is more complicated about a tax that is collected from the individual when the make a retail purchase as is common in virtually every state of the United States, and would be administered by the same folks?

It's not administered by the same folks. There are innumerable service sector businesses that will be required to report income and report and sales taxes that do not do so now--probably the majority of businesses in the US. And thanks for jumping into the middle.