[NeoCaveman]

VAT scares me but NRST sounds like a good replacement for the IRS.

[Viking2002]

Fantastic news! God bless these people!

[nmh]

I don't want Europe's V.A.T.!

I'd rather have a flat tax. Years ago Forbes pushed it and it made sense.

I am for getting rid of the Gestapo, er I.R.S..

[malakhi]

A domestic centerpiece of the Bush/GOP agenda for a second Bush term is getting rid of the Internal Revenue Service

In its place will be the "Service of Internal Revenue". And it will, of course, be completely different from its predecessor...

[FairOpinion]

PING

[chiller]

Come on gang. We all know the IRS system sucks. We all also know that NO ONE of such prominence such as the Speaker has ever gotten behind this.

Support a change. BIG TIME. This could be historic...and about 50 years past due.

[Dubya]

The Speaker of the House will push for replacing the nation's current tax system with a national sales tax or a value added tax

Hey maybe even the illegals will get to pay some tax

[nmh]

I doubt that it will happen. Imagine all the I.R.S. brownshirts without a job. Tax accountants and tax attorneys out of work - it will be a tough sell.

[finnman69]

Bush knows how to play Poker with the Rats.

[goldstategop]

I agree. I've been urging President Bush to think big and make the elimination of the income tax and the IRS the centerpiece of a second term. Tie it all in with the "ownership society" theme and you have a picture of a country where you REALLY get to keep what you earn. Quite a dramatic contrast to the other side's "the government will fix all your problems" pitch. Its about time.

[Dan from Michigan]

NRST!!!!

[Chieftain]

NRST PING!!

[Stew Padasso]

If they are *honestly* talking about a complete dismantling of the IRS, I'll gladly vote for Bush.

[YankeeDoodleBoy]

I'm all in favor of a better tax system, and eliminating income tax, but until spending is brought under control it won't matter. Washington spends like a drunken sailor, and Congress and the Executive are both to blame. You cannot have a fiscally conservative tax policy and liberal social spending policies and balance the budget. Can't happen.

[PhilipFreneau]

>>VAT scares me but NRST sounds like a good replacement for the IRS.

Agree. The VAT could destroy our manufacturing base. I prefer the NRST whereby "retail" includes imported goods and services.

[The Mayor]

Bump!!

[Cableguy]

I think the key will be how to frame this issue. Otherwise, Bush will be attacked for wanting to support the rich again by the Dems/Kerry.

[Malsua]

VATS are evil and confiscatory.

Hastert needs to drop the VAT bs. Flat tax is ok, VAT is not.

I'll take what we got, mess that it is, over a vat.

[SpinyNorman]

Internal Revenue Service.

Isn't that the same sort of service the bull gives the cow?

Good riddance to it! Bring back Dick Armey to run the transition.

It would be hard to imagine that the elimination of the IRS would not be a popular platform for the convention, and would certainly get the tongues wagging in the media.

I propose a wealth tax on gigolos and their sugar mommas......

[TheBattman]

Pleading ignorance here - so please bear with me. Hopefully someone can enlighten me on how this would benefit me (and most all Americans):

So - if I am currently spending very little money (trying to get ourselves out of debt), under this plan, I would pay a relatively low percentage of my TOTAL income in federal taxes in a National Retail Sales Tax?

So my current expenditures outside of credit account & Mortgage payments would be -

1 - Utilities (Electricity, Phone, Cable, etc.)
2 - Groceries
3 - Medical insurance
4 - Medical expenses (co-pays and deductibles)
5 - Clothing
6 - Vehicle maintenance/Gasoline/etc.
7 - Home upkeep/maintenance 8 - Entertainment

Only time you pay federal taxes would be when you actually spend the money - thus any and all savings plans would be a sort of "tax-defferred" sort of plan...?

Could our Congress Critters & Senators POSSIBLY have the guts to do this? It seems so logical....

[CloudyI]

I prefer the national sales tax.

The main reason being that everyone pays taxes (the drug dealers, the prostitutes, those that perform work under the table, they guy that runs the car wash, etc.). ---Not just the honest people that have a job and actually file taxes.

I am sick of seeing people not paying taxes when I have to. The rich will pay more because they spend more. How can the Democrats argue with that?