The so-called "progressive" income tax is a central plank of the communist manifesto, along with inheritance taxes, fractional reserve banking, etc. The "progressive" period of the early 20th century saw an incredible number of developments which represented massive increases in federal power.
Consumption (sales) taxes are inherently more fair: they don't discourage savings, and paying them does not violate violating privacy. There are many other advantages to such traditional taxes—unless one is a big fan of the deficit spending models used by modern socialist governments—and so many negative side effects of income taxation, that I believe preserving the income tax in any form can't be considered "daring".
Patriots should instinctively despise this sort of taxation, which was unheard of at the tome pf the Revolution, and even up until the Civil War.
The income tax should be abolished, but rate reductions and concrete steps in the right direction will satiate me at the moment.
“Income taxation in any form is an abomination.”
I agree. Though it is highly unlikely this prez and this congress are going to start the long process to repeal the income tax.
They could slash income tax to nothing and institute a national sales tax without repealing the income tax. That suggestion usually produces wailing and gnashing of teeth because nobody trusts the feds to NOT re-raise the income tax level(s) after creating the new sales tax.
But, hey, I’m willing to try it.
Because the main problem with income tax is that half don’t pay anything. With a sales tax, even if income tax is again later abused, we’d still at least be taxing everybody something via sales tax.
We will never, ever lower spending significantly if we don’t start taxing everybody something. Ideally all via consumption tax. Which has all the advantages you mentioned.
Plus Hamilton’s barrier.
Plus the giant leap toward getting rid of the IRS at least as we know it today. Because with consumption-based taxes there is no longer a need to know your income, your dependents, what color you are, whether you have health care, how many guns in the house, etc.