If the objective to make the cost of gov't clear, why not point out that the FT is a 30% sales tax? Too clear? Too transparent?
If anything, the tax rate (whether you figure it inclusively or exclusively, I really don’t care- it’s the same money) is simply a reflection of how we’re getting bent over by the Federal government anyway. Revenue neutral is revenue neutral. We’re already paying the rate, the FT just makes it more painful.
And taxation should be as painful as possible, for the sake of liberty.
Ask the average yahoo what he paid in federal taxes for the year. Most will reply that they either paid no taxes at all because they got money back or they will give you the amount they paid when they filed their tax forms. Few realize that this is not their tax bill, but instead are over and under payments.
Paychecks tell you how much you get to keep, not how much the government takes.
"Income tax forms makes it relatively clear too."
No, they don't. Not to H&R Block tax preparers, not to CPAs, not even to IRS auditors. At the end of it all, I know my top line income, and my income tax. Nowhere does a tax form tell me how much I have paid to the government in income and payroll (Social Security and Medicare) taxes.
People file tax forms with the goal of seeing how many dollars they can get back, not how many percentage points they can reduce their tax burden.
And yes, I once heard a talk radio caller claim he didn't pay any taxes, he got money back!
"If the objective to make the cost of gov't clear, why not point out that the FT is a 30% sales tax?"
Replacing a 30% income and payroll tax. So what is your point? The cost of new goods will go up 30%, but your income will go up by 30%.
Well put. It seems that lurking behind the FTers is really a general resentment of taxation and if successful they would soon be advocating for the Bare Tax (0% for all of them.) The Fair Tax is a white elephant with guys like Huckabee hoping it captures the disgruntled vote. Wake up guys, it’s a boondoggle.