4 ms·

Seems like if we just had a large sales tax, rather than income taxes, none of these things would be so complicated, and we'd save so much money on the cost of

• jrockway 16y ago
  A large sales tax is an unfair tax on the poor. Why should people making $20,000 a year pay the same tax on their groceries as someone making $1,000,000 a year?
  • detst 16y ago
    Don't tax groceries as is already the case in many states.
    • jrockway 16y ago
      So all poor people are allowed to do is eat? That's worked really so far...
      • detst 16y ago
        I'm not advocating replacement of income tax with higher sales tax; just answering your question. I wouldn't consider myself the most knowledgeable on this issue but I think there's an argument for a system that doesn't tax certain basis necessities and offers compensation to the poor to allow for more than just an existence.
  • alanfalcon 16y ago
    That's why nobody would set it up that way. The government (in this scenario) could afford to send cash money to all households to cover the tax cost of food and minimal living expenses such that the only taxes paid are for expenses beyond that minimum. A large sales tax would actually work out very well and be rid of the complexities of the IRS completely. I'd encourage anyone curious about how this would work (regardless of your initial reaction to the idea) to check out the reading material on http://www.fairtax.org/ http://www.fairtax.org/ .
  • gyardley 16y ago
    Because they get the same services from the government as the person making $1,000,000 a year?
  • smokeyj 16y ago
    If consumption is taxed the poor will have less purchasing power. If production is taxed the poor will have less jobs and less money. Empowering the poor will not come by penalizing production or consumption, but by empowering the wealth producers.
  • JeffL 16y ago
    "Unfair" by what standard? Why is it unfair to tax two different people the same amount on the same purchases?