I lived in Italy for 3 years and Germany for 4. I know the VAT tax. Us American Forces were exempt but we had to fill out several documents to not pay or get our money back—a real PITA.
Anyway, the VAT is horrible. Every European hates it, it makes it too hard to know the true cost of things, and it squeezes the BLANK out of their economies... Yet the always seem to reelect the politicians who put it in place. Go figure!
I like the national retail sales tax, coupled with the repeal of the income tax. (Linder Fair Tax)