I don’t see what difference it makes if you get that 23% through 4 stages of production each time someone sells to someone else. JMHO.
There is no law that says you MUST have an income tax if you have a VAT. That is no more true than saying you MUST have an income tax if you also have a sales tax.
The income tax is what I want to get rid of. And property taxes. I hate those, too. Something should be taxed once, and then it should belong to you. Period.
You have not read the legislation, have you? Under the FairTax, business to business sales are not taxed! VAT taxes EVERY sales transaction! Can you imagine the paperwork nightmare?
The 23% FairTax is levied on NEW products ONLY at the point of the final retail sale.
EVERY country that has a VAT also has an income tax. It is the nature of ALL governments to tax and tax and tax and spend and spend and spend.
I agree with you re: property taxes. If I were king for a day, all we would have is a retail sales tax at the local, county, state and federal level AND NO OTHER TAXES!
But then, reason, logic and common sense are not virtues of government at ANY level.
And, it is for damn sure that no government at ANY level will promote policies designed to maximize citizen FReedom and minimize government!