Musicmystery
Posts: 30259
Joined: 3/14/2005 Status: offline
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Thadius, I agree. quote:
ORIGINAL: Musicmystery quote:
ORIGINAL: JstAnotherSub quote:
ORIGINAL: Musicmystery I don't know about a complete replacement, but I have long advocated a VAT. It is regressive. But it encourages savings while taxing ability to pay (by self-selection), and circumvents the online sales tax issue. Definitely for. Lose property taxes. Could you please explain that green sentence? I am trying so hard to comprehend exactly what this tax would mean, and I swear I do not consider me to be an idiot (most days anyhow), but I do not get what that sentence says at all. OK. Regressive means that poorer people would (arguably) pay a higher percentage of their income on taxes (the opposite of income taxes, which are progressive--the rates get higher as income rises), since a larger part of their income must be spent. Of course, food and clothing and other more necessary items could be excluded to help this. Sales taxes, similarly, are regressive. For people with higher incomes--the law of demand suggests that with a higher price (the VAT added), people will demand fewer goods (sales tax does the same thing). But, unlike income tax, if you save instead of spend, you are rewarded, essentially, with a "tax break"--i.e., an incentive to save. The U.S. has a negative savings rate, so this would help. This also means only people with money to spend, and that they wish to spend (in the broadest sense), would pay the tax--i.e., those best able to pay. Sales taxes run into a snag with online sales--out of state sales are exempt (in most places--laws are changing). This means the buyer is supposed to pay, but, of course, doesn't. Forcing an out of state seller to do so is impractical (though states are trying). Sales of goods on Indian reservations are also legally subject to taxes for non-native buyers, but enforcing this too is difficult, costing billions in lost revenue. A VAT, however, is paid before the goods ever hit the wholesalers, bypassing all the later collection issues. In short, it's a more efficient means for collecting revenue, even at current effective tax rates.
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