Criticisms Archive
Nothing is Certain but Death and the FairTax
In a piece on Townhall today Mike Adams offers an amusing look at conversations from the trenches of a grassroots movement. The premise is that he carries around, in public, a copy of FairTax: ...
Posted by Mark Bostleman · 36 Comments »
FairTax Lite
April 18, 2008 · Category: Activism, Criticisms
Regular poster Hank Van Gieson proposes the following:
Fairtax-Lite is a broad based 14% national sales tax with
(1) no exclusions,
(2) A targeted prebate,
(3) no taxation of government entities,
(4) leaves payroll taxes and gift/estate ...
Posted by Mark Bostleman · 22 Comments »
FairTax Evasion
April 14, 2008 · Category: Criticisms
In today's Wisconsin State Journal, Al Ose references this three year study by the National Research Program on the tax gap.
The study found that for the tax year 2001, the difference between tax liabilities and ...
Posted by Mark Bostleman · 82 Comments »
Is the prebate too complex?
April 10, 2008 · Category: Criticisms
I think one of the attractive things about the FairTax is its simplicity. Not only does a single rate on a single base provide transparency, it also reduces compliance cost. I also think ...
Posted by Mark Bostleman · 35 Comments »
Will state and local governments resist?
March 28, 2008 · Category: Criticisms, Education
From reader Hank Van Gieson:
The fate of the Fairtax largely depends on the reaction of state and local governments. Repeal of the 16th Amendment will require 38 states to ratify any constitutional amendment. In addition, the ...
Posted by Morphh · 28 Comments »
Soak-the-rich schemes, version 317
March 23, 2008 · Category: Criticisms, Education
This conversation seems to warrant a new thread.
The free enterprise system has created more economic mobility than any other political system in the history of mankind, so these complaints about the "skewed distribution of wealth" ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 30 Comments »
Downward Pressure on Sales of New Items?
From reader George:
Since only new item would be taxed, there will be downward pressure on their sales as well as downward pressure on the wages of those producing new items.
So has there been any serious ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 14 Comments »
Taxing the Prebate, Once It’s Spent
March 7, 2008 · Category: Criticisms, Education
From Logan Boettcher:
This might come as a shock to you (or maybe it doesn't), but the FairTax does not exempt poverty-level expenditures from tax. In fact, it levies a 5.29% tax on all households earning ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 52 Comments »
Are Retirees Leaving Future Generations High and Dry?
February 29, 2008 · Category: Criticisms, Education
Morphh makes some interesting observations, prompted by (but not only in response to) some comments by Hank Geison, that seem like they warrant a new thread.
Hank, you're comparing a marginal rate with an effective rate. ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 10 Comments »
Memo to Bruce Bartlett: Just Do the Math
February 22, 2008 · Category: Criticisms, Education
The Beacon Hill Institute's David G. Tuerck has published a new article in Tax Notes titled "Memo to Bruce Bartlett: Just Do the Math" (link to PDF).
The article begins:
In the November 13, 2006, ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 8 Comments »
Lawrence Kotlikoff: Why the FairTax Will Work
On his web site, Lawrence J. Kotlikoff has provided a new article titled "Why the FairTax Will Work - Bartlett's Unfair Attack on the FairTax," a response to Bartlett's criticism of the FairTax in the ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 54 Comments »
“No Such Thing” as an Embedded Tax?
January 2, 2008 · Category: Criticisms, Education
UPDATE: This person (who posted under the name "Gus James") contacted me after I made this post. He revealed his real name and explained why his comments were posted more than once (it wasn't ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 26 Comments »
Bruce Bartlett: Why the FairTax Won’t Work
December 30, 2007 · Category: Criticisms, Education
Bruce Bartlett has published an article in Tax Notes called, simply enough, "Why the FairTax Won't Work." (Thanks to Morphh for the tip.)
Bartlett was formerly Treasury deputy assistant secretary for economic policy and executive ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 16 Comments »
Does HR 25 Exclude Money as a Commodity?
December 28, 2007 · Category: Criticisms, Education
The letter below is from reader David Wilshin. I'm editing out some of the snarky parts so that his concerns may be addressed by other readers. Depending on his choice of words, he ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 10 Comments »
Remaining Questions from John Warr
December 28, 2007 · Category: Criticisms, Education
I'm bumping this extended comment, from "On Taxing Government Expenditures Part II," to start a new thread.
Wow! Sounds like most of us are on the same page in this discussion. Please indulge me in the ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 3 Comments »
FairTax Implications for Service Providers, Contractors, and Imported Components
Below are questions submitted by an anonymous reader. I'm adding numbers to the questions so they can be answered more readily.
In light of the upcoming elections, I am trying to decide whether or not I ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 10 Comments »
On Taxing Government Expenditures - Part II
December 26, 2007 · Category: Criticisms, Education
Hank van Geison sends this new thread-starter on the topic of "On Taxing Government Expenditures."
By way of review on this thread’s subject, here is what I think we are more or less agreed on if ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 13 Comments »
Hank Van Geison on the FairTax Calculator
December 23, 2007 · Category: Criticisms, Education
Hank Van Geison forwards the following, from an e-mail he sent to AFFT's Director of Communications, for comments or suggestions from other readers:
The calculator is easy to use and seems to be accurate for everyone, ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 7 Comments »
Answering James Taranto’s Critique of the FairTax
December 20, 2007 · Category: Criticisms, Education
A reader named Derek has done an excellent job of answering Hayden Kepner's summary of James Taranto's critique of the FairTax in the Wall Street Journal. I'm pasting Derek's answer below, with a few ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 5 Comments »
James Taranto Critiques the FairTax in the Wall Street Journal
December 18, 2007 · Category: Criticisms, Media Citings
From today's Wall Street Journal:
If you were reading this column last week, you probably anticipated our second reason for criticism of Mike Huckabee's presidential campaign: his support of the so-called Fair Tax. Just to sum ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 9 Comments »
