Posted on 02/15/2017 10:56:38 AM PST by TBP
Republicans in the House of Representatives are inadvertently setting a nasty political and economic trap for Donald Trump. Yes, it’s the Republicans, not the Democrats, who are ready to administer an unnecessary black eye to the new President. That’s not their intention, but it manifestly will be the result.
There has been virtually no debate or public discussion about this new, horrible tax.
The vehicle for this unwitting GOP punch is a new exaction called the border adjustability tax. This levy will cost American consumers at least a trillion dollars over the next ten years. Knowing how Washington politicians calculate these things, you can bet the amount will end up being considerably more. Prices for everyday items, such as socks, shoes and household appliances, will go up. So will tech devices like the iPad, not to mention automobiles and trucks. Gasoline? Millions of Americans will pay an additional 30 cents or more per gallon at the pump. Lower-income and struggling middle-class Americans will get hit the hardest.
Few people are even aware of what the Republicans are getting ready to hit them with. There has been virtually no debate or public discussion about this new, horrible tax, yet in one of those strange fits of collective, self-destructive behavior, numerous GOP lawmakers are ready to enact it.
Here’s how, in essence, this sneaky, anti-consumer tax works. Importers will no longer be allowed to deduct an item as a business expense. To simplify things, let's say a store imports a pair of sneakers for $40 and then sells them for $50, making a $10 profit on which it would owe taxes. Under the Republican plan, however, the retailer wouldn't be able to deduct the $40 it paid for the sneakers. In fact, it would owe taxes on the entire $50! And who, ultimately, pays this tax? You, the consumer, in the form of higher prices or fewer choices of where you can shop. Retailers and their customers will be hit.
Many oil refiners import crude oil to turn into gasoline. This new tax will sharply raise their costs, which will spell pain when you fill up your tank. Worse, some could be forced out of business or have to sharply curtail operations, as drivers cut back on buying the suddenly more expensive fuel.
Companies like BMW, Toyota, Mercedes, Honda, Nissan and Hyundai have major manufacturing operations in the U.S. that employ tens of thousands of workers in good-paying jobs. These companies’ costs will soar because they import numerous parts for the vehicles their workers assemble.
The Loophole of All Loopholes
But wait, it gets worse. Another feature of this bizarre GOP scheme gives exporters a gargantuan tax break by, in effect, not taxing their export revenues. Let's say a corporation sells a piece of machinery to Iran for $5 million, which cost only $4 million to produce. That means $1 million in taxable profit. Under the new Republican scheme, however, that $5 million received from the mullahs wouldn’t be taxable. Instead of a $1 million profit, the corporation, for tax purposes, would have a $4 million loss. Loophole doesn't begin to describe this "tax break."
No wonder companies like Boeing, GE and other big exporters are orgasming over this GOP "reform."
Big breaks for big companies, higher prices for beleaguered consumers. Why are the Republicans doing this? They say the revenue raised will help finance a huge tax cut, such as getting rid of the death tax and the horrific alternative minimum tax, cutting the corporate tax rate from its disastrous 35% to a highly stimulative 20% or less and very meaningfully lightening the tax burden on individuals. These are all extremely exciting ideas and would do wonders for the economy.
A VAT would crush future U.S. economic growth rates, just as it has in Europe and elsewhere.
But enacting a big, brand-new tax to finance cuts in old taxes is a dangerous business, especially in the way the Republicans are going about it. Democrats will gleefully remind voters why prices are going up, conveniently ignoring the tax cuts. Moreover, the GOP border adjustment tax is a but a small step away from a full-blown value added tax, which has financed the bloating of governments around the world. Democrats will someday be back in power, and they won't hesitate to either ramp up this GOP-created tax or go for the VAT. This would be hypocritical--rip apart the Republicans over this tax, and then go on to compound their felony. A VAT would crush future U.S. economic growth rates, just as it has in Europe and elsewhere.
Consider this astonishing fact: In the mid-1960s government spending in Europe as a proportion of their economies wasn't much different from our own. Growth rates matched or exceeded ours. Then Europe discovered the VAT. Spending ballooned and growth slowed to a crawl, consistently clocking in at significantly lower levels than Uncle Sam's.
Republicans also claim their new tax would help exports. In the real world it would do no such thing, as astute tax expert Dan Mitchell has explained (see this and this).
The GOP should drop this tax scheme. Why create unnecessary conflict and damage our new President? Republicans shouldn’t be constrained by the Congressional Budget Office's antiquated way of measuring the economic impact of changes in taxes. Drop the green eye shades, and go for big cuts that would turbo-charge the economy.
In addition to the border tax, they should raise the fees on every traveler and visa and green card applicant. They should tax remittances, and use tariffs as a negotiating cudgel. They should bill the Mexican gov’t for the costs of transporting illegals back to Mexico, amongst other things
I think this is B.S.
Repubublicans are going to do an import tax. But completely remove the deductability for imports or not tax the revenues on exports. b.s.
Which will raise prices on goods and services working people buy.
Baloney. Corporations never pass along the cost to the consumer.......... /s
Probably, but it will also tax foreigners looking to sell into our market and give an advantage to American companies, restoring our industries and putting our people back to work.
As people go back to work, the government gets a windfall of income taxes, which they need to lower the debt. People earning are now paying taxes instead of drawing benefits. Another savings. And their after tax earnings get spent back into the American economy.
There an incredible amount of winning with a tariff. THey worked great for our country for 180 years. We were stupid to abandon them.
Probably, but it will also tax foreigners looking to sell into our market and give an advantage to American companies, restoring our industries and putting our people back to work.
As people go back to work, the government gets a windfall of income taxes, which they need to lower the debt. People earning are now paying taxes instead of drawing benefits. Another savings. And their after tax earnings get spent back into the American economy.
There an incredible amount of winning with a tariff. THey worked great for our country for 180 years. We were stupid to abandon them.
How does raising taxes put people back to work?
Offset the tariffs with tax cuts.
Now you have Americans working AND keeping more of their earnings. Win win for everyone except foreigners. And those free traitors that were offshoring american jobs for their own profit.
We aren’t going to be raising taxes.
A tariff or a “border adjustment tax” is a tax. Imposing a new tax is a tax increase.
They’re already proposing to raise taxes.
Forbes is a globalist establishment tool. A border tax will ultimately create U.S. jobs as manufactures move their factories into the U.S. to avoid the tax. A little short term pain will pay huge dividends down the road with new jobs.
Disincentive to buy anything it seems. Bartering!
The point of raising the prices on foreign goods is to encourage Americans to buy local instead.
“How does raising taxes put people back to work?”
In theory, if taxes on imports make them too expensive, some capitalist will invest in producing the items domestically for sale at a lessor price, thus providing jobs for folks.
Unless the required costs — wages, taxes, regulatory costs — are too high to make it worthwhile.
A border tax will also kill jobs in the import/export industry, and it will bring retaliation from other countries.
“To simplify things, let’s say a store imports a pair of sneakers for $40 and then sells them for $50, making a $10 profit on which it would owe taxes.”
I want this. When Nike makes Shoes for 2 bucks a pair in a sweatshop in Indonesia, then brings them here and charges 200, that should be taxed. It isn’t a loss.
They need an incentive to make things here.
His bitch is basically that bringing in things from overseas wont be as profitable, and that exporting isn’t his with enough taxes. The GOPe free traitors aren’t going away, are they?
Anyone who thinks this will spark a trade war is a disingenuous liar. We are in a trade war now. Raising tariffs now would just be retaliation for 3 decades of rape trade and de industrialization.
Sounds like a big incentive to make things here, import less, and export much more. I’m for it.
The multiplier effect of a factory is huge. Just building a factory means many many jobs. It is win-win all the way around.
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