Posted on 06/03/2013 11:02:56 PM PDT by neverdem
Sometimes when youre writing part of a column you keep getting close to the meaning of what you want to say but you dont quite get there, the full formulation of the idea eludes you. Then two days later, relaxing in conversation with friends, the thought comes to you whole, and you think: Thats what I meant to say. Thats what I was trying to get.
This week I had one of those moments. I kept trying, the paragraph kept not quite working, the deadline came.
I got an email last night that had the effect of a clarifying conversation. It was from a smart friend who works in government. He understood the point I was trying to make about how the current IRS scandal is different from previous ones and more threatening to the American...
--snip--
But my friend got to the essence. He wrote, The left likes to say, Watergate was worse! Watergate was baddont get me wrong. But it was elites using the machinery of government to spy on elites. . . . Its something quite different when elites use the machinery of government against ordinary people. Its a whole different ball game.
It is.
Thats exactly what I meant.
In previous IRS scandals it was the powerful abusing the powerfula White House moving against prominent financial or journalistic figures who, because of their own particular status or the machineries at their disposal, could pretty much take care of themselves. A scandal erupts, there are headlines, and then people go on their way. The dreadful thing about this scandal, what makes it ominous, is that this is the elites versus regular citizens. Its the mighty versus normal people. Its the all-powerful directors of the administrative state training their eyes and moving on uppity and relatively undefended Americans...
(Excerpt) Read more at blogs.wsj.com ...
Fox news is the only network covering the IRS hearings. MSNBC and CNN have BO on whining about how long it takes for his judicial nominations to be approved. He is appointing three DC judges - and this is of utmost importance. Lamestream media continues protect BO.
You have no idea how many professed god fearing people refuse to see that and buy into this national sales tax whole hog.
On Noonan’s article on the WSJ site she has a link to a youtube video of an entire Cincinnati Tea Party meeting on the subject of the IRS. I watched the whole thing and found it inspiring. I recommend it to anyone who wants a battery charge. The last speaker was an impressive gentleman from Freedom Works. I believe I shall look into that organization. Maybe there is something useful I can contribute that way.
You are absolutely correct!
Studies have shown that charitable giving is not done for tax purposes, and, in any event, charitable giving under the FairTax will not be a taxable event at all.
Studies have also shown that in times of prosperity, charitable giving increases substantially; since the FairTax will increase American’s prosperity across the boards, charitable giving will increase.
If I could get charities and churches to support the FairTax, this would be a done deal. Unfortunately, charities and churches are too timid to take on the Fed, and not many are willing to go on the record supporting FairTax.
We have a lot of work to do to convince them that they will prosper mightily under FairTax.
I don’t believe that there will be a sizable underground economy under the FairTax, which is what I said in my first paragraph.
As to tracking individual purchases, that simply will not happen! I cannot imagine how you or anyone else can conjure up a scenario where an individual consumer would even come into contact with a tax collector, either state or federal.
The FairTax is set up to be an extension of the state sales taxes, and completely isolates the consumer FRom the tax collector. That is one of the features of the FairTax.
Federal tax collectors will only work with the states to ensure that each state collects and remits the proper amount of taxes.
In fact, there is another feature: businesses and states will be paid to collect the FairTax so as to cover their cost of collection. FairTax is not an unfunded mandate like the income tax is.
If I run a small business, and I do $500,000 in business, my customers pay the FairtTax, and I remit that to the state, which remits some to the feds -- or something like that, right?
What if I tell the state that my business did -- **cough** -- $300,000 in business? Is there a mechanism whereby a tax collector can say, "hold on there, matey --!"
Great arguments, Ray! And you ask a legitimate question.
The problems I have encountered, since I started my National Retail Sales Tax activism (1991), generally center around an unwillingness of politicians to give up the power that access to the Internal Revenue Code (and Service) provides them.
Witness what is happening now — clearly the LIEberals have used the IRS as a weapon against their Republican enemies. So they are reluctant to give that power up.
And, the Republicans are reluctant to give the power up, because they might wind up pulling the levers of power again someday, and THEY might need an IRS to intimidate someone.
We got a whole lotta convincin’ to do!
Capisce?
You don't think people will try to evade a 40% markup with State sales taxes on top (In California it's pushing 9%)?
I see. You don't.
As to tracking individual purchases, that simply will not happen!
Yes, it will. It already does in California, where all sorts of goods are tracked by driver's license numbers (see "Real ID"). The software is in place. It's scalable too.
I cannot imagine how you or anyone else can conjure up a scenario where an individual consumer would even come into contact with a tax collector, either state or federal.
You lack imagination.
The FairTax is set up to be an extension of the state sales taxes, and completely isolates the consumer FRom the tax collector. That is one of the features of the FairTax.
If you think for one second that databases will not be shared what with the Utah Data Center already in place storing virtually EVERYTHING on the Internet, you're dumber than I think you are.
In fact, there is another feature: businesses and states will be paid to collect the FairTax so as to cover their cost of collection. FairTax is not an unfunded mandate like the income tax is.
And the information will be for sale. If you think Google is intrusive now, just wait.
You are absolutely correct! Studies have shown that a lot of "charitable" giving is for racketeering purposes.
I had never contemplated the idea that this would lead to a ban on cash, but you are right. All transactions would be electronic and therefore totally subject to manipulation. Every good and value added would have to be tracked through the entire supply chain to make certain they weren't bartered out. Verifiable identity of transactors would be a must, with "mark of the beast" implications.
I see all sorts of progressive, utopian assumptions getting baked in, e.g. bartering is inherently evil, bartering supports terrorists, the infrastructure for electronic transactions will always be there, electronic transactions have no flaws, etc.
An income tax subverts enterprise by its very nature. The left has moved beyond it already with estate taxes. As long as there are people, there will be black markets. Nothing in this world can be perfect.
Why not keep all taxes local? Let the states collect it. The states can forward to D.C. the feds share. Let people vote with their feet. No exit taxes. The feds can levy income taxes only during wars declared by Congress.
I love all of these Fairtax vs Flat Tax debates. Everyone is picking out drapes while the house is still burning.
Most of the progressive edifice should be reduced to rubble.
Simply because they had a few good ideas that made sense, or seemed to at that time, the left acts like none of their ideas can be reformed, replaced or repealed.
The last century has been government gone wild. If there ever were the time for a reckoning, now is it.
Tell you what, since you are so sure that won't happen, go ahead and have added to the legilation that if any individual consumer is ever audited under the "fair" tax, all of your and your family's assets will be immediately forfeit to the person audited. When you are ready to back up that claim under threat of impoverishment of you and yours, then I might buy into this scheme. Until then, it's just that much smoke being piped up our asses.
Have you read the legislation?
If you have not, please do so.
In any event, after you read H.R.25, please quote for me, the specific clause (s) which you believe will allow the Federales to audit private citizens!
You are the one piping smoke up our asses!
What are you and Carri-Okie smoking?
I don’t know which state you live in, but if you live in a state that has a state sales tax, in today’s environment, you are subject to audit by your state revenue department.
That will not change — you will collect the state and the federal sales tax and remit them to the state sales tax collection agency. And, you will be required to keep records of sales, returns, taxes collected, etc., etc. Pretty much the same records you are required to keep today for STATE SALES TAX PURPOSES.
I emphasized the state sales tax because keeping those records is one or two orders of magnitude less difficult than keeping all the records required to file Federal Income taxes.
And, in addition, businesses will be paid a small fee to offset their expense in collecting the tax, and will the states.
More information can be found at:
http://www.fairtax.org/PDF/TheImpactOfTheFairTaxOnSmallBusiness.pdf
And your source for that statement would be????
Thanks
The gist of your remarks indicates to me that you are perfectly content with the current system.
n fact, I’d hazard a guess that you actually profit FRom the current system and would be one of the displaced workers after FairTax becomes law of the land.
Your esoteric strawman arguments against the FairTax demonstrate that you are clever and have an inventive mind. If you put it to constructive ends, perhaps you could survive in a FairTax economy!
PS Whoops! I expounded at length and never really answered your question:
Yes there is — it will pay for each business to keep good records and be able to prove that their records are complete and accurate.
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