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I really do want the income tax to go in the worst way.
However, I am unsure about the national sales tax, too.

It will create an unbelievable bureaucracy that will have to support the management of this tax. Every business owner would still be the tax collector for the federal government and will at any time be at risk of having to deal with the extra scrutiny of a new version of the IRS.

If we are still going to go the way of a citizen's tax, I would much prefer a tax where every citizen is responsible for paying their share directly. It keeps the people connected to the real amount they are paying when they see it go directly from their pocket to the government instead of through a middle man.

I know it would never happen, but I think the perfect tax would be to tax imports. Tariffs were the means of federal government support once apon a time and with most of the hard goods sold in this country now being imported, maybe it could work again.

It would greatly increase the cost of these goods to the consumer, but it would be simple for the vast majority of the country and save a fortune in administration. The federal government would only have to deal with those who are bringing goods into the country - not every point of sale from sea to shining sea.

Another thing that worries me is that even if the income tax is not being withheld from checks anymore, SS and Medicare still will be, so we keep that whole system with its costs in place and we add a new avenue of taxation to it.

After people see an initial lowering of the amount taken from their check when the income tax is converted to a sales tax, I would assume we can expect them start slowly raising the amount withheld again for SS and medicare thereby getting away with more of our money without it being as noticable.

I'm open here, but we would have a lot to consider.

Before there was an income tax, there were excise taxes. Excise taxes were enforced by excisemen. Thomas Paine was an exciseman. They performed the equivalent of audits on businesses. But private individuals escaped such scrutiny.

Under a sales tax, the situation would be the same. A bureaucracy would be required, but it would be a considerably smaller bureaucracy. Audits would be required, but on a considerably smaller scale not involving private individuals.

Every business owner would still be the tax collector for the federal government and will at any time be at risk of having to deal with the extra scrutiny of a new version of the IRS.

This is still an improvement over today, where *everyone* lives in fear of the IRS.

ven if the income tax is not being withheld from checks anymore, SS and Medicare still will be

No, see the link in post 213.

It will create an unbelievable bureaucracy that will have to support the management of this tax. Every business owner would still be the tax collector for the federal government and will at any time be at risk of having to deal with the extra scrutiny of a new version of the IRS.

As one example, think about the difficulties of collecting sales tax on illegal drugs.

It will create an unbelievable bureaucracy that will have to support the management of this tax...

The social security administration will administer...they're not new (but they are a bureaucracy!).

Another thing that worries me is that even if the income tax is not being withheld from checks anymore, SS and Medicare still will be...

Nope. SS and MC are funded via sales tax revenues. All withholding is over - kaput. Remember they'll be no IRS...

I'm glad "you're open", because you have lots to learn!

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