Posted on 08/31/2007 4:07:02 AM PDT by Man50D
After Rep. Steve King endorsed a national retail sales tax to replace the federal income tax during his first run for Congress, his own campaign coordinator told him his candidacy was finished.
Three elections later, the Iowa Republican still stands in the vanguard of the FairTax, a tax revolution that has taken hold of the 2008 Republican presidential debate and turned from outcast to kingmaker, including aiding presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee's surprise second-place showing in this month's influential Iowa Republican presidential straw poll.
Of the major candidates on the Republican side six, including all-but-announced candidate Fred Thompson, have said they are either active supporters or would at least be willing to sign a FairTax bill if it reached their desks as president. It has popped up in the debates, and in the run-up to the Iowa straw poll it was almost impossible to attend a campaign rally, meet-and-greet or town hall and not find someone wearing a FairTax T-shirt or baseball cap.
"It's almost as popular as being opposed to amnesty," Mr. King said, comparing the tax issue to the immigration issue that has also swept Iowa this year, forcing the Republican presidential candidates to heel to activists' desire for border security.
The FairTax is the survivor from what could be called the great tax-reform debates of Republicans' time in control of Congress, having eclipsed its main rival, the flat income tax, over the past few years.
Supporters say they could abolish the income tax, the Internal Revenue Service and the April 15 paperwork headaches and replace it with a 23 percent tax on all retail sales. There are no exemptions, but the government would pay a monthly rebate to every taxpayer to make up for what is spent on essentials such as food and clothing.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
Fair Tax ping!
Why must the FairTax supporters constantly lie about things. I know it is habbit, but get honest with the facts. Fred's campaign has denied it, and the only 'proof' is an obviously doctored video tape. I seriously doubt Fred had a clue what the guy was asking which is why the phony edit.
Funny how the FairTaxer who the YouTube video ‘disabled for comments’ about the Thompson video. I imagine he did not like everyone pointed out it is a forgery. If fairtaxers think they must lie to get the fairtax passed, it must not be that good of a bill.
Can you say “tipping point”?
I hear a lot of people speak out against the fair tax, but honestly have not heard their alternative to it...What is yours, please?
I assume you would like to see at least some reform to the IRS/current tax system.
Thank you
Can you say “tipping point”?Bring it on. The only way you fanatics will give up the ghost (some of you never will) is to have this out in a big way. I'm preparing letters to my reps and to the heads of the appropriate committees suggesting in depth hearings on the FairTax. I might also suggest the AFFT convene a conference (more than one day) of economists (some not on the AFFT payroll) to discuss the economic issues of the FairTax.
lower income tax to a a uniform flat tax.
This Sales Tax aka “fair” tax is a complete scam.
The program contains PRE-Bates (!?) with WILL become the entitlement for all.
In addition the democrats will say rich people (those over 50k) will not be entitled to a pre-bate.
Onerous paperwork, draconian monitering required.
I see no benefit to this proposal. We are trading one intrusive IRS program for some other intrusive IRS program.
The government will HAVE to have access to ALL transaction in order to monitor.
Taxes on service are just plain insane.
In addition, this does NOTHING for state and local income and sales taxes.
You don’t need an alternative to know this proposal is DOA.
Thank you! I pray that they listen!
There is absolutely no chance of the FairTax becoming law. None.
I think you are wrong about that but we'll see.
Let's shine as much light on the FairTax as possible and get it over with.
I'm all for that!
Even so we are left with the same basic problem any tax has. Corrupt politicians will enslave us using whatever tax code we employ. And while the fair tax makes such chicanery more difficult it is not impossible. How do we stop the insatiable beast that is government taxation?
Corruption stays, because we can’t make a constitutional amendment that bans politicians. But the FairTax certainly changes the dynamics of the game. Again, wonderful!
Thank you! I pray that they listen!Trust me, you don't want hearings.
That is where you are wrong my friend because, when it gets to that point, the FairTax is as good as passed into law!
It may be unpopular, but the best solution is both. Perhaps a 6% sales tax which excludes purchases like housing and rents. I also would not put a sales tax on services, which is nothing more than a gross income tax to those who provide services. This new tax could work to greatly reduced income tax rates, and we could go to a much flatter and simpler rate without all the complicated calculations. It is just not right to decouple social security from the income tax. If you bury social security inside a sales tax, you are setting yourself up for a total disaster. It is already terrible that Congress intermingles the SS funds with other spending, burying the rate in the fairtax makes the problem twice as bad.
Sales tax has it benefits especially helping us be more competitive in foreign trade, but a 30% sales tax is out of the question for practical purposes.
Maybe you forget that your income tax started out as a 1% FLAT TAX on the highest incomes only ... Why would you want to keep the income tax alive and just lower the rate a little bit, we need to replace it , not add to it as you propose ,,, and how do you get off misleading people with your 30% number ,,, we quote the income tax on an inclusive basis therefore it’s replacement needs to be reported on the same basis (23%) in order to have valid comparisons.
As to SS , that is the most regressive tax of all and you want to maintain it? I want all gov’t funds to be honestly accounted for... I see privatization as the only real SS solution.
Rolling my eyes in complete disbelief. The proposed sales tax rate under the fairtax is 29.87%. Period. If you want to mutate the number into some 'inclusive' rate for comparison purposes, fine. But that does not change the absolute fact that the actual rate is 29.87% as the entire universe (outside of the fairytax world) calculates sales tax.
Why quibble about the percentage?
The concept is that you take the control and intrusiveness of the income tax away from the government’s control.
SS is not suppose to be a welfare program for the poor. You are suppose to get out in proportion to what you paid in. So yes, I want it to remain regressive tax because it is progressive in the way it pays out. The fairtax turns social security into a welfare program, much more so than it already is.
I am not quibbling, I am just stating what the actual rate being propose is, and fairtax supporters don't like it.
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