Once Considered Unthinkable, U.S. National Sales Tax Gets Fresh Look

[cptacek]

So when they say they are going to introduce a VAT, does that mean the current income tax system is going away? Or is the same old system still going to be there, but IN ADDITION we get to pay sales tax too?

[tripods68]

Originally Posted by cptacek

So when they say they are going to introduce a VAT, does that mean the current income tax system is going away? Or is the same old system still going to be there, but IN ADDITION we get to pay sales tax too?

Only the Great OBAMA knows the answer to this.

[Inkstain82]

Originally Posted by tripods68

Only the Great OBAMA knows the answer to this.

It's slightly more complicated than that, of course. Obama isn't the one calling for such a tax, and he wouldn't be implementing it by executive order even if he wanted it.

The answer is that it would be additional, at least to start. There's no way the shift from income tax to VAT tax would be made overnight.

Taxes are going to go up. It was inevitable before Obama took office, and it'd be some kind of superinevitable now.

If Americans wanted to truly go to a low-spending, low-tax approach to government, the opportunity was the 2000 election. The economy was humming, and our national defense needs were (relatively) light. It would have been the perfect time to eat some unemployment by taking a trim to the military budget, reorganizing health care (either entirely private or entirely public would be a far better solution than what we have now) and cutting social security benefits.

That ship has sailed. It may be years or decades before there is another window of opportunity, but it's definitely not today.

(to be fair, Americans *did* think they were electing a fiscal conservative in 2000.)

[geojen]

Frankly, I don't see how we can't raise taxes. You can't wage 2 wars and cut taxes. I am with DS on this one, I'd rather see a sales tax rather than an increase in income taxes. Sales taxes are transparent, easy to comprehend and somewhat in your control.

[tripods68]

Originally Posted by Inkstain82

It's slightly more complicated than that, of course. Obama isn't the one calling for such a tax, and he wouldn't be implementing it by executive order even if he wanted it.

The answer is that it would be additional, at least to start. There's no way the shift from income tax to VAT tax would be made overnight.

I was being sarcastic

[cptacek]

Originally Posted by geojen

Frankly, I don't see how we can't raise taxes. You can't wage 2 wars and cut taxes. I am with DS on this one, I'd rather see a sales tax rather than an increase in income taxes. Sales taxes are transparent, easy to comprehend and somewhat in your control.

And you can't go into more debt than every president before you combined, either, without raising taxes. And you can't throw money at insolvent banks and car companies, extend unemployment benefits another 20 weeks plus add another $25 to each payment, start universal health care, continue 2 wars (including increasing troops in one and keeping troop levels the same in another), increase the omnibus spending to levels never seen before AND pass a stimulus bill that is patently designed to buy votes for 2010...Obama is going to have to own this economy at some point.

I guess my philosophy is (to rip it off from those smarter than me), if you want less of something, tax it. Apparently they want less spending in addition to less income.

[cptacek]

Originally Posted by RedThunderBird

btw do not be surprised if you find a few posters attacking you in some other threads

I've attacked and been attacked. Apologized sometimes and stuck by my guns, too. No biggie! Although, I did take a break from here for a while because I knew I needed to calm down a bit on the political side...