Posted on 02/08/2016 7:44:14 PM PST by Helicondelta
Two Republican presidential candidates -- Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rand Paul, R-Ky. -- have proposed replacing much of the federal tax system with a VAT. Cruz's proposed VAT would have a 16 percent tax-inclusive rate, and Paul's proposed VAT would have a 14.5 percent tax-inclusive rate. Both VATs would be administered through the subtraction method rather than the credit invoice method used by most countries with VATs.
...
The biggest problem with the Cruz and Paul plans is their pronounced lack of tax transparency. The senators have consistently described their proposed levies as business taxes rather than VATs and have underplayed or denied the burden that the VATs would place on workers. Moreover, their proposed VATs would be largely invisible to the public because they would not be listed on customer receipts or pay stubs.
The Cruz and Paul plans would also repeal the payroll and self-employment taxes that are earmarked to finance Social Security and Medicare Part A. The repeal would have problematic implications, which Cruz and Paul have not addressed, for Social Security's budgetary status and the design of the Social Security benefit formula.
(Excerpt) Read more at aei.org ...
Related:
Ted Cruz Wants to Raise Taxes on Your Grandma
http://fortune.com/2016/02/02/ted-cruz-taxes/
Return the Fed to its proper role and all this becomes unnecessary.
L
so tempting.........
I like a FAIR tax.
I like a flat tax.
VAT is just non-stop stupid.
I do like the concept of a sales tax replacing income tax. I’m also a maker and seller of products. As such, I worry that a dramatic increase in price will dramatically reduce sales and I do not want to become an unpaid tax collector.
Another invisible tax! How clever!
What an moronic idea!
Cruz supporters seem oblivious, or in denial, about what a horrible idea their candidate is supporting vis a vis taxation. An insidious VAT tax, on top of an income tax, is one of the few ways you could actually make our horrible, stupid tax system even worse.
Beats the hell out of Trump raising taxes.
Indeed, the best thing about a sales tax is that it is obvious and in your face.
Still not seeing how it’s a VAT... I think some media jackal glomed on to the rightful negativity surrounding the VAT and are now misusing the term to sway the vote...
People either don’t know what they’re talking about or do know and are being political.
There is a tax on business receipts less wage and purchases, described as a tax on business operating income.
There is also a tax on wages above a generous zero bracket.
For about half of Americans (the ones who don’t pay income taxes), there is a big reduction of taxes since they won’t pay the S.S. payroll tax. This will more than off-set the increase in prices due to the tax on business.
For the other half of Americans (the ones who do pay income taxes), the main benefit is that the income tax will be much more simple, apply to earned income above the zero bracket but at one relatively low rate. There will be NO tax at the individual level on “unearned income,” NO capital gains tax, NO estate tax, and NO alternative minimum tax.
Tax simplification (lowering the rates in conjunction with reducing the deductions) is thought to reduce the deficit by about $800 million per year EVEN IF you don’t change the average effective tax rate. The savings comes from reduced cost of administering and complying with the tax code.
But there are dynamic effects as well. Ending corporations and rich individuals leaving the country so as to avoid our high tax rates, restoring the incentive to work for the lower middle class, and putting the country on a path to a balanced budget.
There is a long list of issues concerning the transition to such a very different tax system. I’m not going to belittle these traditional issues but the detail work needed to address the transition is not appropriate to a campaign. In a campaign, you lay out broad goals.
BTW there are a lot of similarities among the flat tax, the fair tax and this proposal, as well as some differences. And, Jeff Sessions has a very nice proposal that would provide a huge step to a true flat tax/fair tax combo such as Cruz and Rand Paul have proposed. We can and should enact Sessions’ proposal immediately.
Cutting a ton of taxes and simplifying things won’t balance out on your books? Are you sure?
Well the Business Tax Cruz proposes eliminated both the corporate and payroll taxes, this should be a plus for business, business investment is also not taxed which will increase job growth.
Also as the AEI points cutting spending is part of the equation I posted in another thread a list of agencies Cruz is proposing the eliminate, including the Dept do Ed and EPA among others.
What agencies is Trump proposing to eliminate?
I’ll agree it’s an offensive word to most of civilization but in all honesty it means wimp, sissy in this context.
Value Added Tax plus 50-70% salary taxation.... European inspired socialism at its finest.
I’m not at all sure Cruz wants a VAT tax, but if he wINS and worked with Congress to pass one, he might serve out one term.
They suspend one tax in order to get VAT, then like a dandelion, it comes back and productive, hard working people are again penalized with a smaller pie so “others can have more.”
As so many here are shouting out loud: THE FEDERAL GOV. HAS A SPENDING PROBLEM, not a revenue problem.
Whatever they get, they spend double. Why should we trust them when they promise “lower taxes” in order to raise taxes?
LOL!! A VAT tax has NEVER eliminated ANYTHING!!
Look at Europe.....for a perfect example of how terrible a VAT tax is.
LIKE ANY OTHER (NEW) TAX....IT ONLY CONTINUES TO GROW!!
No VAT!!
NO NEW TAXES!!!!
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