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Oh, but you ARE mixing and matching since you quote a rate on the FairTax that is tax exclusive and you're unwilling to give a rate in today;'s tax system on a comparable basis.

I'm not making a comparison between rates! When writing about the expansion of the black market, I'm not interested in comparing rates. It is the means of collection that is significant. Get it?

As several posters have pointed out to you, the effective FairTax rates are considerably lower than those at present so if anything evasion should reduce, not increase.

You can't have it both ways - either the FairTax is large enough to be perceived as a burden and motivate taxpayers to act, or it isn't. If it ISN'T, then you are wasting your time supporting the FairTax as the vehicle of change you wish to see. If it IS, than you need to face up to the real possibility that people may well act in ways that undermine your goals.

You still haven't defined what you mean by "the black market" nor posted any sort of definitive information about it so that no one - you included - has any idea what you're talking about.

And certainly one CAN have it "both ways" as you so unclearly put it. The FairTax effective rates are lower for almost all taxpayers (meaning that there is more financial incentive to evade under the income tax) AND under the FairTax each taxpayer will get a printed receipt for each taxable purchase showing that the thing cost, the amount of the tax (23% t.i.) and the total. that will make taxpayers aware for probably the first time of what "their government" cost them for this box of Kleenex - they'll have to pull the long green out of their jeans to pay for it. That will certainly make many (if not most) very aware of spending and he cost of government where they are not now as much of the tax is hidden from them ... and many pay no tax at all.

Under the FairTax, everyone pays the tax when they buy taxable things. You need to reread some of my posts to you outlining the whys of the situation to you - there are several on this thread and I see no reason to keep repeating them. Better yet, go read the bill.

You can't have it both ways - either the FairTax is large enough to be perceived as a burden and motivate taxpayers to act, or it isn't. If it ISN'T, then you are wasting your time supporting the FairTax as the vehicle of change you wish to see. If it IS, than you need to face up to the real possibility that people may well act in ways that undermine your goals.

Please explain the unintended consequences you allude to so that we may attempt to grasp what only you have imagined.

You remind me of a Monty Python skit where Eric Idle goes wink - wink, nudge - nudge and John Cleese has no clue what he is referring to.

Please note; your perceived consequences must be minimal or nonexistent within the current system to hold any weight against abolishing the current system.