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Kansas senator proposes flat tax
The Washington Times ^ | 3-9-06 | Amy Doolittle

Posted on 03/09/2006 11:17:47 AM PST by JZelle

Sen. Sam Brownback, Kansas Republican, has proposed using the District as a "laboratory" to test how a flat federal income tax would affect its residents and economy. Mr. Brownback said the District is perfect for the experiment because it is not a state. "Here you have a federal enclave, as much as maybe people in the District don't like that terminology," he said. "Doing it in the District would give a real-world venue where we could witness what it could do for the country." The proposed system would tax District residents at a flat rate, instead of taxing them under the existing system that includes such factors as income and family size.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: flattax; kansas; sambrownback; washingtondc
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1 posted on 03/09/2006 11:17:49 AM PST by JZelle
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To: JZelle

Didn't New Zealand successfully use the flat tax?


2 posted on 03/09/2006 11:19:15 AM PST by PeterPrinciple (Seeking the truth here folks.)
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To: JZelle

From a flat state......


3 posted on 03/09/2006 11:19:28 AM PST by Red Badger (And he will be a wild man; his hand will be against every man, and every man's hand against him...)
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To: JZelle

Why not guinea-pig it using strictly SALES tax and NO income tax?


4 posted on 03/09/2006 11:19:41 AM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue.)
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To: JZelle

Should we put in a clause that allows Democrat poloticians to exempt themselves from paying lower taxes?


5 posted on 03/09/2006 11:19:59 AM PST by Mr. Brightside (I know what I like.)
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To: the OlLine Rebel
A sales tax in Washington DC?

Think how much we could raise if we taxed bribes and influence peddling.
6 posted on 03/09/2006 11:21:30 AM PST by Mr. Brightside (I know what I like.)
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To: JZelle
Great Idea. The flat tax would not be as good an idea as The FAIR TAX, but an improvement nonetheless. Imagine passing this law and finding people from Maryland and Virginia moving into the city to take advantage.
7 posted on 03/09/2006 11:21:37 AM PST by GeorgefromGeorgia
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To: JZelle

Democrats want a conservative tax......tax conservatives double.


8 posted on 03/09/2006 11:25:48 AM PST by CROSSHIGHWAYMAN (Toon Town, Iran...........where reality is the real fantasy.)
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To: JZelle

Putin installed a flat tax in Russia, receeipts increased, and everyone seems to like it better than the previous system.


9 posted on 03/09/2006 11:29:01 AM PST by GarySpFc (de oppresso liber)
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To: GeorgefromGeorgia

"Great Idea. The flat tax would not be as good an idea as The FAIR TAX, but an improvement nonetheless. Imagine passing this law and finding people from Maryland and Virginia moving into the city to take advantage."

Question:

I'm in a 'fair tax' state, and I want to buy furniture. I don't want to pay said fair tax, so I go to the next state and get a low tax on my consumption...effectively avoiding the tax system. The average person would not have a problem doing this, would they?


10 posted on 03/09/2006 11:29:31 AM PST by Rick_Michael
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To: Rick_Michael
Your so-called "fair tax" is an economy killer. We tried that scheme a few years ago called a luxury tax and it killed several industries selling high-end products. A flat tax IS a fair tax.
11 posted on 03/09/2006 11:42:02 AM PST by Crucis Country (Crucis)
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To: Rick_Michael
I'm in a 'fair tax' state, and I want to buy furniture. I don't want to pay said fair tax, so I go to the next state and get a low tax on my consumption...effectively avoiding the tax system. The average person would not have a problem doing this, would they?

Works the same with internet sales. Technically, you are personally are responsible for the "use tax" due when you bring it into the state but, realistically speaking, how would anyone know and how would they collect from you?

12 posted on 03/09/2006 11:49:29 AM PST by balrog666 (Come and see my new profile! Now with corrected spelling!)
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To: Crucis Country
I have to disagree with you. All income taxes are unfair taxes. A flat tax is still an income tax and we need to get rid of the income tax as soon as possible. Not much chance of it but it would be the best thing for the country. We went 150 years without one and then suddenly felt the need to have a "flat tax" on income "only for the rich". Flat taxes will always become sliding income taxes unless some very strong safeguards are implemented, which wouldn't happen. Also, unless we get rid of all the state income taxes we would still be in the same boat we are in now.

Real the 16th, dump income taxes, make a federal sales tax, pass another amendment making all income taxes illegal. THEN, we would have a "fair tax" system.

Also, an amendment that would put a cap on the percent of taxes,ALL TAXES, that can be levied on people. Let the gov live within their means.

13 posted on 03/09/2006 11:56:27 AM PST by calex59 (seeing the light shouldn't make you go blind and, BTW, Stå sammen med danskerne !)
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To: calex59

Regarding my post #16, Real should Repeal!


14 posted on 03/09/2006 11:57:22 AM PST by calex59 (seeing the light shouldn't make you go blind and, BTW, Stå sammen med danskerne !)
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To: Crucis Country
We tried that scheme a few years ago called a luxury tax and it killed several industries selling high-end products.

To be fair, all we tried was a DOUBLE-taxing system. Income tax AND luxury tax. Double-taxing will kill all SORTS of economic activity.
15 posted on 03/09/2006 12:00:04 PM PST by beezdotcom
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To: Crucis Country

[Your so-called "fair tax" is an economy killer. We tried that scheme a few years ago called a luxury tax and it killed several industries selling high-end products. A flat tax IS a fair tax.]

I agree with you. I was quoting someone else opinion, and asking a question on why someone would use it.


16 posted on 03/09/2006 12:23:37 PM PST by Rick_Michael
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To: balrog666; All

[Works the same with internet sales. Technically, you are personally are responsible for the "use tax" due when you bring it into the state but, realistically speaking, how would anyone know and how would they collect from you?]

The difference are subtle. The internet has two things which makes a limited market...not everything is for sale on the net, and there's shipping. Now let's say I live right on the border of Georgia, and they have a fair tax. It's very likely that some Georgians will think about going to their neighbor state (especially if their on the border), and get groceries. That's what consumer usually do...go for the cheaper product.

Online they do sell groceries, but it's limited and there's shipping cost. Usually it from a local store as well. I would imagine border grocery stores going bankrupt, and all the business would go just across the state line.

Frankly, I'm not in favor of direct taxes period, even indirect schemes such as the fair tax. I'd rather flip the clock back to the days when the average person owed little-- if anything, to the federal or state government.

The flat tax system is a little bit better than income tax system...primarily because it promote corporation to register their company in America, rather than abroad. Our tax system currently taxes business registered both here, and in other countries they reside in. Thus it becomes an initiative to register elsewhere, and leaves more of a burden on the middle class to support our tax system. Most dims and repubs are unaware of this.


17 posted on 03/09/2006 12:44:31 PM PST by Rick_Michael
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To: Rick_Michael
The difference are subtle. The internet has two things which makes a limited market...not everything is for sale on the net, and there's shipping. Now let's say I live right on the border of Georgia, and they have a fair tax. It's very likely that some Georgians will think about going to their neighbor state (especially if their on the border), and get groceries. That's what consumer usually do...go for the cheaper product.

Exactly the same. When you cross a state line, buy something new, and bring it back into your home state, technically, you owe your state the Use Tax on the object in liu of paying the sales tax. In fact New York used to (and may still) station agents at particular out-of-state markets and note the New York license tags - then they sent the owners tax bills.

To paraphrase what I said before, it only matters if you get caught and they can prove it and if they choose to enforce the law. Most states don't enforce the law on individuals at all but almost all do on businesses through sales tax and property tax enforcement.

18 posted on 03/09/2006 1:10:09 PM PST by balrog666 (Come and see my new profile! Now with corrected spelling!)
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To: Rick_Michael

Your point is well taken regarding states that have high sales taxes but no income taxes like Texas. I have family in Texas and the sales tax rate in Houston was 8%, I don't believe that rate his high enough for people to spend transportation dollars to go out of state. In DC if they went to a FAIR TAX it would likely encourage people to shop in VA or MD. Of course, my idea was to have the FAIR TAX for the entire country.

I disagree with the comment comparing the FAIR TAX to the stupid Luxury tax on boats, That was a specific tax on high cost items, on top of the current tax structure. If the FAIR TAX was enacted, income, FICA and Estate Taxes would go away. The focus would be on consumption not punishing achievement by taxing income.


19 posted on 03/09/2006 1:28:57 PM PST by GeorgefromGeorgia
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To: GeorgefromGeorgia

[disagree with the comment comparing the FAIR TAX to the stupid Luxury tax on boats, That was a specific tax on high cost items, on top of the current tax structure. If the FAIR TAX was enacted, income, FICA and Estate Taxes would go away. The focus would be on consumption not punishing achievement by taxing income.]

I didn't make a comment on luxury taxes on boats.


20 posted on 03/09/2006 1:55:29 PM PST by Rick_Michael
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