Sales and VAT taxes are not progressive, they act somewhat regressively! Do not think that rich people spend more, it is the reverse! A greater proportion of a lower income family's income is spent on consumption compared to a wealthy family, who may spend a lower proportion of their household income on consumption goods, where the rest of the money is invested, hoarded, wasted etc. Sales and VAT taxes do not work in isolation because it worsens the economic balance between the rich and the poor.
"DakotaT" wrote:
Sales taxes are regressive. They hurt poorer people more. A national sales will also have an adverse effect on the economy, because what they don't tell you is that everything is going to be taxable, even services. What they also don't tell you is the fiscal note of replacing the current income tax rate. The national sales tax rate is going to be a lot higher than what we are paying at our local rates.
National sales is being pushed by the Republican Party because the wealthy Republicans are tired of being overtaxed with the current system. I don't really have a problem with that line of thinking exept for the moral obligation to humanity that many wealthy seem to be willing to set aside for the perceived fairness.
I don't like the fact that there is a free lunch out there for those that choose to live that way, but I've come to the realization in life that if that is how a person wants to constrict himself to a lifestyle, then the system is in place for abuse. Initiative is not inherited trait, it is a learned behavior.
I have more of a problem with the upper 10 percent continuing a lifestyle of a king, when a great percentage of them had it all handed to them on a silver platter.There is not going to be a great equalizer tax system, it's just not possible. What I have witnessed in life is that a balanced tax system is what works best, but having lower rates in all. The problem is politics because PACs talk Legislators into allowing self serving exemptions and credits.
"TheEngineer" wrote: