Do people know what a VAT is? A sales tax is not necessarily at VAT.
Sales tax is different as it only taxes the end product. The VAT taxes a product at every stage of development. And then it is pretty well hidden to the consumer, except in the inflation of the price of the product. I can tell you, when coming home for Europe, that you can claim back at the airport whatever VAT you paid for goods you are bringing back to the USA. The VAT is only intended to tax the residents who ‘benefit’ from the Socialist programs the VAT funds.