Nothing funny about it ... it's a refund of taxes paid.If it's a "refund," why is the Social Security Administration mailing it out? I don't recall ever getting an income tax refund from the SSA.
Posted on 03/09/2006 3:42:02 PM PST by Eaglewatcher
Koop, of Roanoke, is a retired engineer from Eastman Kodak Co. and the volunteer communications director for Roanoke Area FairTax.
A local group of volunteers is working to provide a fairer way to pay federal taxes. A bill pending in Congress, The Fair Tax Act of 2005 (HR 25), would abolish the Internal Revenue Service and replace the income tax with a national sales tax. That is, the tax on income would be replaced with a tax on consumption.
A tax system that is routinely manipulated for their benefit by those with means, resulting in thousands of pages of incomprehensible rules and regulations, would be replaced with a system much like one we routinely deal with today -- our sales tax.
Roanoke Area FairTax (RAFT) is affiliated with Americans for Fair Taxation, the national organization that is supporting similar grassroots efforts across the nation.
RAFT has two missions: education and advocacy. We seek to bring knowledge about the FairTax to area citizens and channel the support of citizens to urge elected federal representatives to pass the FairTax legislation.
Education takes two forms:
First, make citizens aware that such a proposal exists.
Second, tell the public what the proposal is and provide sources of information. Such information includes a Web site (fairtax.org), a best-selling book (The FairTax Book by Neal Boortz and Rep. John Linder, R-Ga.), speakers, publications, informational meetings, workshops, booths and word of mouth. In addition, volunteers call on residents to talk about the FairTax.
Advocacy involves accumulating the support of individual citizens to provide notification to members of Congress that HR 25 deserves to be passed.
Although there is little motivation for Congress to pass the bill, when grassroots support reaches critical mass, action will follow.
The volunteers who educate also provide the conduit from citizens to representatives via a petition urging action. In general, people sign the petition only after learning what the FairTax is about.
Hopefully, readers of this piece will explore the sources of information listed above so that, if they choose, their support can be applied to the task. A petition can be submitted directly on the Web site.
Certain principles are central to the FairTax proposal:
. It is not anti-tax.
. It will raise the same revenue as the current system.
. It will tax only new goods and services
. Everyone will pay taxes the same way.
The creators of the FairTax determined that 22 percent of the current cost of consumer goods and services consists of embedded taxes and compliance costs (time and money). After eliminating these, a 23 percent embedded sales tax will provide equal revenue.
Other changes will benefit taxpayers, too. Gone will be the taking of withholding taxes, Social Security taxes and Medicare taxes from our wages. Gone will be the filing of paperwork and the payment of taxes every April 15. Gone will be the costs of the filing. Gone will be the Alternative Minimum Tax that due to inflation has declared many of us far richer than we really are.
Gone will be the need for the rest of us to make up for the tax evasion of others: earners of illegal income, the underground economy and the dishonest, all amounting to hundreds of billions of dollars of untaxed income. Gone will be the tax compliance costs of commerce passed on to all of us in the form of higher prices.
A number of bread-and-butter benefits will result. Although our take-home pay will be larger (no deductions), prices will be about the same due to competitive pressures. We will be able to buy more.
In addition, there is a provision for the less-successful: Every household will receive a monthly check (a "prebate") covering the taxes on all basic necessities for that size household. For low-income households, that will represent a 23 percent increase in income.
For the wealthy, it will approximate pocket change. For the rest of us, the prebate will represent an increasing benefit with decreasing income.
The economy is expected to show substantial growth as we think more about maximizing income and less about minimizing taxes. Offshore investors are expected to return and foreign investors to come to take advantage of our favorable tax environment. American companies will enjoy competitive advantages in the global economy.
What can you do to contribute to the public discussion of the FairTax? Visit the Web site, read the book, attend monthly FairTax meetings (fairtax.meetup.com/53/), write letters to the editor and sign a petition. Your support for this measure will make April 15 just another beautiful spring day.
Note that lewislynn responded to one of my posts by pointing out an inaccurate technicality. Wow. The irrelevancy of that little exchange is so tiny, so wee, so miniscule to the ideas that we are tossing about on this forum that one must feel a sort of pity. One would except that LewisLynn is not your typical poster. He is of the Maureed Dowd, Molly Ivins ilk in that he finds tiny little cracks and tries to make canyons out of them - as if he were some sort of earth moving item himself.
But then one would have to doubt that lynn is a real debater. This forum is all about honesty, facts, debate. Something that has long gone out of our major media outlets. Thankfully it has been rejuvenated on talk radio and here.
So, lewis. Why on earth would you tax my income as I toil away to earn it? Why? I need to create some wealth for myself as do millions of others. Why not wait until I spend those fruits of my labors? Why can't you wait until then? What is so important about you taking away part of my income? Part of the money I am using to build assets, part of the money that I make every day? Why can't you wait until I spend it?
Fairtax bump.
Note that lewislynn responded to one of my posts by pointing out an inaccurate technicality.
Ironically, but then again perhaps not ironic at all. That's what motivated me to write post 19.
finds tiny little cracks and tries to make canyons out of them
That's a great line. Very fitting.
There's been a lot of that in the MSM and the left attacking President Bush and his administration.
If those who threw the tea overboard prior to the revolution saw it they would gag. They would also be amazed that we put up with it. Why do we?
Agreed. Having everyone pay the same rate -- eliminating the zero tax burden -- is only a stepping stone to a truly fair tax system.
Politically, it may be a necessary stepping stone, however.
The leap from 50% of the populace paying nothing to a truly fair tax may not be something that can be achieved without an "Atlas Shrugged" abandonment of this society or an actual violent revolution. Either way, the productive population needs to get the burden shifted back so the poorest of the poor feel the true cost of government.
a cross section is represented here... who are benefited by this abortion that we call the Federal income tax.
All of the successful small-business owners I've know would not act like them. Their integrity wouldn't permit it. It's unlikely that the anti-FTers are in business for themselves. What then? One of three things. 1) they've found a way to scam the present system more than just what their own tax bill would be. Perhaps with multiple social security numbers and identities. 2) They're government employees -- probably with the IRS -- looking towards a pension or lackey's on a politicians staff. 3) Both.
There is nothing beneficial about the current income tax to anyone but hired, highly paid, gunslingers in Washington who spend their days and expense budgets sliming the congresspeople we elect. The congress "fights" back by punishing us, the people, with campaign finance reform that leaves our free speech rights on the trash heap.
YEAH, it's all OUR fault that congress TAKES our money. Yeah, that's right. Pass laws against the first amendment but don't, whatever you EFFING do, make congress responsible for its actions.
John McCain should go down in history as the worst traitor to the idea of freedom since Benedict Arnold. He is nothing more than a shill for the crooks.
Wow. The irrelevancy of that little exchange is so tiny, so wee, so minisculeSo why the "irrelevant, tiny, wee, miniscule" rant?
It's irrelevant to point out the Fairtax legislation does NOT call for the repeal of the 16th amendment?
I think both the fact that the legislation does NOT "call for the repeal of the 16th amendment and that you Fairies have to lie about it are very relevant AND is very much a relevant debate topic.
Keep trying though.
Oh BTW, if you want to see why the Fairtax will never get anywhere...look in a mirror.
So, lewis. Why on earth would you tax my income as I toil away to earn it? Why? I need to create some wealth for myself as do millions of others. Why not wait until I spend those fruits of my labors? Why can't you wait until then? What is so important about you taking away part of my income? Part of the money I am using to build assets, part of the money that I make every day? Why can't you wait until I spend it?That's right. I'm the reason you'll never amount to anything and when it's not me or wasn't me it will be or always was someone else....Right?
There is a small minority in this country, a cross section is represented here - and I actually think that a few of them are conservative, not allIs it conservative to be in favor of a plan that has the Social Security Administration sending a check to every family in America once a month?
All of the successful small-business owners I've know would not act like them. Their integrity wouldn't permit it. It's unlikely that the anti-FTers are in business for themselves. What then? One of three things. 1) they've found a way to scam the present system more than just what their own tax bill would be. Perhaps with multiple social security numbers and identities. 2) They're government employees -- probably with the IRS -- looking towards a pension or lackey's on a politicians staff. 3) Both.You forgot: 4) they genuinely think the FairTax is a bad idea.
Without question we have some IRS employees posting as squirrels. I won't do it but I think I could name a couple.Go ahead. Name names. It's better than throwing innuendos around.
And we have a couple who I would bet are planted, paid shills for K-street.Paid shills? You mean like the AFT paying people to post in favor of the FairTax? Naww, they would do that...
I just read an excellent article on FreeRepublic from the Ludwig von Mises Institute. For Society To Thrive, The Rich Must Be Left Alone.What, not send them a government check every month and charge them 30% sales tax when they squander their millions like so many rich people do everyday ?
BTW, how did they get rich without the Fairtax? Oh I know, they scam the system and have two SS cards, otherwise it just isn't possible, right?
Not only irrelevant, but wrong. (What else is new?) The bill does call for the repeal of the 16th Amendment, but being a tax ball, is not an Amendment in and of itself.
HR 25, Section 2 (Congressional Findings):
(f) Findings Relating to Repeal of Present Federal Tax System- Congress further finds that the 16th amendment to the United States Constitution should be repealed.
Congress further finds that the 16th amendment to the United States Constitution should be repealed."Should be" translates to legislative calling for it? Not exactly compelling language is it.
I suppose if "the findings" also said the IRS "should be" eliminated you would say that the bill calls for the elimination of the IRS too...Of course you would, you're a Fairie and that's what Fairies do.
Nothing funny about it ... it's a refund of taxes paid.
Nothing funny about it ... it's a refund of taxes paid.If it's a "refund," why is the Social Security Administration mailing it out? I don't recall ever getting an income tax refund from the SSA.
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