Obama Admin. Mulling National Sales Tax: 'Value Added Tax' Has People Screaming To Heck With 'Vat'

WCBS-TV ^ | April 7, 2010 | Marcia Kramer

[2ndDivisionVet]

A taxing development surfaced on Wednesday.

White House economic advisor Paul Volcker is calling for a new national sales tax -- a value added tax or "vat" -- to help close the deficit.

But as CBS 2 HD found out area residents are saying "vat chance."

Talk about starting a tax revolt. Volcker's call for a new national sales tax -- on top of the state and local sales taxes we pay now -- got a loud Bronx cheer from just about everyone.

"That's crazy. That really is crazy. Why would need any more taxes than we already have?" said Kathy Merritt of Watchung, N.J.

"It's a bad idea. New Yorkers are struggling as it is already. We don't need that. We need incentives, breaks, jobs," East New York's Lee Santiago said.

"They're trying to make those of us who have a few bucks poor so everyone will be poor and everyone will be the same," added Charlotte Wein of Midtown.

Here's what the former mayor of Yonkers said when CBS 2 HD into him on the street:

"The Obama administration continues to be extremely out of touch with mainstream America. We're over-taxed so it's just a continuation of his far left, extreme left, agenda and I think it's a disaster for New York and actually the rest of the country, too," John Spencer said.

The new so-called value added tax would come on top of state and local taxes. Economists say the tax would also be imposed on manufacturers and producers.

"You don't need a PhD in economics to figure out that what the producer is going to do is pass this along to the customer," said Ken Goldstein of The Conference Board.

So if the vat is 10 percent, that sweater you pay $31.50 for today would have and additional:

*50 cents in taxes added on by the yarn supplier

*$1 in taxes added on by the manufacturer

*50 cents added on by the wholesaler

*$1.50 added on by the retailer

Now the sweater costs $35 plus state and local sales taxes, which is 8.75 percent in New York City.

One thing that may keep the Obama administration from imposing the tax this year is that every member of Congress is up for election come November. But next year, all bets are off.

Jose Barro, an economist for the Manhattan Institute, told CBS 2 HD that the vat might work if the government agreed to reduce personal income and corporate taxes at the same time.

[winner3000]

(Jose Barro, an economist for the Manhattan Institute, told CBS 2 HD that the vat might work if the government agreed to reduce personal income and corporate taxes at the same time.)

If people are stupid enough to fall for this, they deserve what they get. For a temporary reduction in the other taxes, people would allow yet another source of taxation. Predictably, all those tax rates would then go up, giving the socialists exactly what they want.

[winner3000]

(Jose Barro, an economist for the Manhattan Institute, told CBS 2 HD that the vat might work if the government agreed to reduce personal income and corporate taxes at the same time.)

If people are stupid enough to fall for this, they deserve what they get. For a temporary reduction in the other taxes, people would allow yet another source of taxation. Predictably, all those tax rates would then go up, giving the socialists exactly what they want.

[Doe Eyes]

It’s the Fair Tax.

[blondee123]

Just shows what totally incompetants are running our country. Tax, tax, tax, til there is nothing left to tax, no people working and all businesses gone!