From what I've seen, those who oppose such sweeping tax reform in favor of our current, Byzantine tax code fall into two categories:
1) Those who, for whatever reasons, pay very little (in some cases no) income tax currently. This often includes wealthier folks who have tax lawyers and CPA's who know how to game the system better than us peons.
2) The larger group: Leftists/Socialists who see the tax code as a tool for social engineering; IOW, power over our lives. It's always about power with these people, something we're loathe to forget. The tax code "rewards" behavior they want to encourage and "punishes" behavior they feel is "wrong" or otherwise runs counter to their worldview.
Just my humble opinion.
Well I’m neither of your two options, so I think your opinion is flawed.
There needs to be at least a #3 to cover me:
3) Those who are knowledgable about business and how it works, who have looked at the Fairtax plan carefully, and who think it has major flaws that make it unworkable as written;
Life insurance and annuity sales people. Those two products are INCOME tax deferred and much easier to sell (for big commissions) while there is an income tax.
Third party administrators. The folks who maintain the record keeping and file the tax forms for various retirement plans such as 401(k)s. The need for these tax deferred plans disappears without an income tax.
Tax shelter companies. Real estate and oil/gas exploration mainly. This industry employs a lot of people and sells products which, in some cases, have no economic value other than to defray income tax liability.
Now a lot of the "status quo lovers" on this board will deny that they have any agenda. If none of these posters will admit to being dependent on the income tax for a living, then where ARE the posters who are so dependent? Anyone? Anyone?