Posted on 07/17/2013 6:56:04 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
What type of tax reform do you want? Simplification of the existing progressive income tax system? A flat tax? A sales tax? A value-added tax?
Tax professionals, economists, elected officials and others heatedly debate the pros and cons of each. However, it is unlikely that real tax reform will occur until the financial crisis gets so bad that most people will agree to radical change.
Most tax reform discussions and debates lead with the premise that any new tax system has to raise roughly as much revenue as the present system. Why should that be? Currently, the federal government spends about 23 percent of gross domestic product, and state and local governments spend approximately another 15 percent net of federal transfers. In 1948, federal and state governments spent roughly half as much of GDP as they do today. A hundred years ago, total government spending was less than 9 percent of GDP, and most was at the local level.
Evidence indicates that total government spending is at least twice as high as it should be to maximize job creation, economic growth and the general welfare. Assume the United States has accumulated so much debt that bond buyers will no longer buy U.S. government bonds. Also assume that the present income tax structure has collapsed because of its size and complexity or that the Supreme Court returns to first principles and limits the federal government to doing only what is in the Constitution, leaving the rest to the states or the people (as specified by the 10th Amendment).
Either way, the federal government might be forced to cut its real spending in half or more from today’s 23 percent of GDP to the 1948 level of 12 percent. Under such conditions, what type of tax system should be set up?
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
A GASOLINE TAX.
WHY?
There is almost a perfect correlation between the amount of road use and the tax. Bigger and more road-damaging vehicles and those who drive more miles use more gasoline — almost the perfect user fee. Rather than using revenues from an income tax (economically destructive, costly to administer and liberty-destroying) to support government, why not use more excise taxes and user fees?
Anyone who thinks that's going to happen is kidding themselves.
In theory, I want a flat tax. But given where we are, I’m leaning more and more toward a national sales tax. We have way too many people who pay nothing and don’t feel the pain of demanding more and more government spending. Everyone should pay something.
The Fair Tax.
It taxes consumption rather than production. It ends the IRS and takes away the power the of the gub’mint to manipulate taxes for their own gain.
100% tax on SNAP, WICs, EITC, Section 8, TANF and the other 85 other entitlement programs.
The reality is we’ll probably get all of the above, as the ‘Rats transform the US into a state that takes everything and returns to us what they see we need.
Sola NRST. All other national taxes illegal.
Anything that taxes income is immoral and counterproductive.
Income is a measure of what you provide to the economy.
Spending is a measure of what you consume from that economy.
I never thought I would say this, but since half of Americans don’t pay ANY income tax, I would favor a tax on consumption.... a sales tax.
.... as long as all of the income redistribution (Earned Income Tax Credit, etc) goes away in the deal.
A flat tax is the way to go, that is all God wants. But, safeguards have to put in so it can't be raised.
Then the beauorcrats (sp) need to be gotten rid of to reduce regulations, or eliminate them altogether.
It would only be a national sales tax on top of what we have now. There will be no real reform with rampaging marxists in power.
“Bigger and more road-damaging vehicles” do not pay nearly enough and are the primary reason our roads are often in such poor shape. The gasoline tax should be progressive when it comes to vehicle weight.
I don't mind sin taxes either but just enough to offset societal problem costs.
10% sales tax all goods except food and cloths under $100.
Income, estate, and cap gains taxes made unconstitutional.
Simple.
Cutting spending
No income tax. Do away w the 16th and 17th amendments. Put us back on track to a Constitutional limited government.
How do you tax non-gasoline or diesel powered vehicles?................
None of them are going to make anyone happy until the government spending is cut by at least two thirds.
Ditto!
Fair Tax!
RE: Cutting spending
And that’s going to get the IRS off our backs?
No representation without taxation!
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