[Sonny M]

I'm very skeptical of a national sales tax, in that, alot of places will add on top of that, a local sales tax and a state sales tax (I live in NYC, I would have to do all my shopping totally over the internet then). Also, my other fear, is that it would eventually be revamped into a VAT system, which makes it easier to raise taxes with it only looking like a price increase. I prefer a flat tax, simply because its simpler and its easy and less room for shenanigans, though states and locals will still add there own income taxes, but with a flat taxes, if times go bad, or whatnot, you can always use somthing as a stimulus (i.e. a temporay tax exemption on somthing).

[John Valentine]

The flat tax has its advantages, to be sure, and it would be entirely acceptable to me in preference to the system we have now.

It would not do anything to tax the underground economy, however. I agree with you that we would need to be vigilant over time to make sure that the National Sales Tax didn't morph into a VAT, which would open the door to a new income tax in addition to the sales/VAT tax revenues. Then we'd have the worst of both worlds.