The Fair Tax

[joemomma]

I'm only going to bring this up once, and if there are no replies, I'll not mention it again. The president has formed a commission to reform the tax code. There are quite a few proposals on the table. But there is only one proposal that, instead of reforming the income tax, repeals it. It's called the Fair Tax. The Fair Tax repeals the income tax, social security tax, medicare tax, estate tax, self-employment tax, corporate tax, and other income taxes, and replaces them with a National Sales tax. It does not end Social Security or Medicare, only the way they're funded. The president mandated that any reform must be revenue neutral, that is, it must generate the same amount of revenue as does today's system. It dissolves the IRS!

Being a Libertarian, I'm not a big fan of taxes. We believe the limited government the Founders envisioned can be financed in a better, voluntary manner. But the Fair Tax, though not perfect, is so much better than today's 60,000+ pages of the tax code, and in my eyes, better than anything else on the table.

If you're interested, please visit http://fairtax.org/ . Click on "learn more" to, well, learn more.

Okay, I'm off my soap box.

Edited September 21, 2005 by joemomma

[B.O.P.]

I have not visited the site link you posted, but it sounds similar to a flat tax, which was gaining some momentum for a while but don't hear anything about it any more. I like the basic idea of either. But there is one big reason I don't think either will ever happen: The IRS itself! The politicians are just as afraid of them as we are. The IRS is what I call the American Gestapo. They can show up at your home or business unannounced any time they want to and look at your records. If you refuse and tell them to make an appointment you had better be prepared for the screwing of your life! They will come back with a court order (no judge will refuse them either) and make your life absolutely miserable.

I have been audited twice. The second time was such a joke it wasn't funny. It was nothing more than a waste of my time and (I think) an intended waste of time for the IRS guy. The IRS auditor spent 2-1/2 weeks of time spread out over a 3 month period. When he was done he made some minor adjustments to my previous 2 years tax returns, but I still didn't end up owing any additional tax. I flat out asked him what the hell was going on? His reply? "I'm just doing my job." Yeah, right!

All these hearings regarding the IRS that were going on a few years ago were a joke for the most part. Why? Because some of the politicians heading up the hearings immediately became IRS audit targets as did many of the people who testified. If anything even remotely resembles a plan to eliminate, or even greatly reduce the IRS, it ain't gonna happen. The IRS would have all of them on the chopping block before they had a chance to do anything. Further, can you imagine how many people would be unemployed? Not just the IRS employees, but a whole bunch of accountants too.

I'd love to see something happen, but I don't think it ever will. Just my $.05 worth.

[joemomma]

The flat tax is an income tax. IRS would still be around. Our present income tax structure started out as a flat tax. The Fair Tax is a consumption tax.

Mark, I agree that politicians are afraid of the IRS. I'm not. And from your tone, I sense that you're not. I suspect there are millions of Americans who aren't. There were, I'm sure, colonists who were afraid of George III. Thankfully, the founders overcame that fear and sent him packing. It will take a massive grass roots effort to send the controllers in DC packing, but I think the country is ready for it. And I think the numbers are there to make the Fair Tax a reality.

After the IRS and income taxes are gone, the expected boom in the economy that only this great country can generate, will supply productive jobs for the displaced unproductive workers.

Take a half hour, go to the site, read the faq's, and if you like what you read, sign the petition.

[Travis]

>>Just my $.05 worth.<<

Whats this, inflation? I thought it was, my $.02 worth.

I see alot of folks very aggrivated about things right now. To be honest about it I would like to see something that would regain the polititians attention towards the american people and not personal interests. I have noted before that I truly believe that polititions are doing what they think is right for the people. But I always thought were supposed to have the people in mind first and not their own personal thoughts of right. After all our congressman, governor, senator, president works for us right? All to often personal interests equal greed and coruption.

I will attemp to read the article joemomma but usually I cant understand the pig latin that those type of document are written. So I will ask now. Are they working for a standard equal tax for everyone? I the tax reasonable for everyone?

When I read it I know I will have more questions and responses.

[joemomma]

Travis, I'm afraid I don't share your fuzzy feelings about politicians, nor did George Washington when he said, and I paraphrase, we must always hold politicians' feet to the fire. I still believe in term limits; 2 terms - one in office, one in jail. They may go to DC with the best of intentions, but the system (or maybe that Potomac water) soon turns them into control freaks and wealth redistributors.

The Fair Tax isn't a tax cut. It does a couple things I really like. It dissolves the Gestapo, er, IRS. And it opens peoples' eyes to the real amount the Federal Government confiscates from the workers of America. We're all paying taxes we don't even know about right now. Businesses don't pay taxes. They pass them on. Only people pay taxes, whether they see them or not. With the Fair Tax, they see them. That's when the tax cuts will start. That's when a lot of politicians will flee for their lives.

People who don't pay taxes now will start paying taxes. The local prostitute, the local drug dealer, bank robbers, thieves, illegal aliens, will all start paying their taxes now. They all buy stuff. The filthy rich, who take advantage of all the loopholes now, and who buy a heck of a lot more than Joe six pack, will be paying a heck of a lot more taxes than good old Joe. You pay the tax every time you buy something new and there are no loopholes.

The faq's on the site are long. I think there are 48 of them. But it's not that hard a read, and it probably takes a half hour to read it all.

[B.O.P.]

>>Just my $.05 worth.<<

Whats this, inflation? I thought it was, my $.02 worth.

Yup, and with the price of gas the way it is it may go even higher

Joe,

I know a flat tax would not dissolve the IRS. But it would, shall we say, cut it down to size considerably to where the people would have more control over it again. Though I will say, to do away with it completely would probably be cause for the largest country-wide celebration in history! (I would actually have to take time off from work for that one).

No, I'm not necessarily afraid of the IRS in the strict sense of the term fear. But I have a great respect for what they can do to you if you buck their system. Case in point: One time they got my tax return and SS number mixed up with someone else's (long story and we all know the IRS doesn't make mistakes!). They sent me letters, which I never got because they were sending them to the other persons address, so naturally I didn't respond or call them. They froze my bank account for non payment of taxes. It took me almost a month to get the mess straightened out and be able to start using my account again. Messed up my credit for a while too because of late payments, etc. But do you think the IRS would admit any wrong-doing and write a letter for me to send around to my creditors? Hell no! They had the attitude that it was my fault! That's just one small example. There are thousands of instances where they have screwed up someone's life and side stepped any responsibility.

I'll try to check out the link when I get some extra time. Right now I shouldn't even be doing this as I am running behind schedule again to get things done.