Criticisms Archive
Closing the B2B Loophole, Part II
From reader Tanner E:
I was hoping you or someone else could help me understand this regarding FairTax. I came across the “The ‘I’m My Customers’ Employee’ Trick” post from 10/05/06… and read through all ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 3 Comments »
Irrefutable Proof the FairTax Cannot Work?
FairTax critic Hayden Kepner actually submitted this a couple weeks ago but it got lost in all our technical difficulties. I just approved several other messages that had been stuck in the queue as ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 75 Comments »
Bartlett Continues Campaign - Linbeck Responds
September 27, 2007 · Category: Criticisms, Media Citings
Bruce Bartlett continued his campaign against the FairTax in an article in the New Republic.
Bartlett's focus is on creating a link between the Church of Scientology and the ideas that led to the current FairTax ...
Posted by Mark Bostleman · 2 Comments »
Bartlett criticizes FairTax
August 26, 2007 · Category: Criticisms
In an August 25 opinion in the Wall Street Journal Online, Bruce Bartlett is highly critical of the FairTax. Bartlett was deputy assistant secretary of the Treasury for economic policy from 1988 to 1993.
Posted by Mark Bostleman · 39 Comments »
Kepner on Phil Hinson Fair Tax Show
July 11, 2007 · Category: Criticisms, News
FairTax gadfly Hayden Kepner, a regular on our site, was on the Phil Hinson Fair Tax Show a few days ago. (I haven't had a chance to listen yet, but some of you might ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 24 Comments »
Cascading Embedded Costs of the Income Tax
From Hank Van Gieson:
There is a fairly lively discussion on the fairtaxgroups site concerning just how much income tax costs can be removed if the Fairtax was approved. I have long been puzzled by ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 13 Comments »
Income Taxes vs. Consumption Taxes
May 23, 2007 · Category: Criticisms
In the discussion for the post "Would the Underground Economy Be a Problem?," FairTax critic Hayden Kepner concluded his comments with:
So, at least for the forseeable future, we will be forced to rely primarily on ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 93 Comments »
Would the Underground Economy Be a Problem?
I'm promoting Jessica's question into a post and thread here of its own:
I don't think we've really discussed the "underground economy" that Mr. Gale says would thrive. As far as I understand it, as used ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 43 Comments »
Jay Bookman Decries “Faith in the FairTax”
April 23, 2007 · Category: Criticisms
FairTax critic Hayden Kepner sent me a link to Jay Bookman's new column "Fervent faith in the FairTax defies reason."
I tired of the ad hominem attacks after the first few paragraphs, but perhaps ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 68 Comments »
Will the FairTax Create “Welfare Families”?
April 11, 2007 · Category: Criticisms
From reader Hank Van Geison:
In order to protect lower income families from the regressive consequences of a national sales tax, HR25, the Fairtax, incorporates a “prebate” of taxes paid on consumption up to the national ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 13 Comments »
FairTax Debate Between Kotlikoff and Gale, at AEI
A news tip from FairTax critic Hayden Kepner: the American Enterprise Institute has published the video of their debate between William Gale and Larry Kotlikoff. You can view the video by going here and ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 19 Comments »
Mises Institute Attacks FairTax ... Again
October 10, 2006 · Category: Criticisms, Education
Reader Jason Coyne points me to a new article by Lawrence Vance at the Ludwig von Mises Institute called "The Fraudulent Tax" which provides a withering critique of the FairTax.
The article devotes more than a ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 13 Comments »
The “I’m My Customers’ Employee” Trick
From reader Terry Mellon:
I'm a supporter (time and money) of the FairTax effort, but under the heading of "too good to be true," I'm starting to puzzle about weaknesses it might have. Given that ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 7 Comments »
Mr. Rich vs Mr. Average Joe
August 28, 2006 · Category: Criticisms, Mailbag
From reader Ralph Ekwall:
Here is my argument against the so-called "fair tax." Let me explain by using two examples. One man is Mr Average Joe and he makes $40,000 per year. The other example is ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 20 Comments »
A New Rebuttal to William Gale’s Tax Notes Article
August 6, 2006 · Category: Criticisms, Education
Quadrupole just tipped me off that he has written a conceptual rebuttal of William Gale's article in the May 2006 issue of Tax Notes, in which Gale argued that the tax rate would have to ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · No Comments »
Would You Really Get to Keep Your Paycheck?
From reader Ken Veit:
Finding some way to post is not easy!
I read the Fair Tax Book and got all excited until I spotted a flaw that no one seems willing to address. Rep. Linder ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 5 Comments »
Liars use Double Talk to Lie about Lies in the Fair Tax
Ludwig von Mises Institute: Laurence Vance’s December 12, 2005 “There is No Such Thing as a Fair Tax” review of The FairTax Book asserts three lies found in the book and asserts 17 problems with ...
Posted by Bill Rook · 32 Comments »
Mises Institute Slams FairTax Book
Writing for the free-market Ludwig von Mises Institute, Laurence Vance can't find enough bad things to say about the FairTax Book.
As far as I can tell, his basic gripe is that the FairTax ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 7 Comments »
Is the FairTax Regressive?
December 1, 2005 · Category: Criticisms, Reviews
Writing for the Ocala Star-Banner in Florida, Bill Hirsch penned this critique of the FairTax:
It works like this: Everyone would receive a monthly check from the government to reimburse them for taxes paid on the ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 9 Comments »
New York Times Reviews FairTax Book
The Gray Lady has published its review of The FairTax Book, and it's about as bad as you would expect. Here are the most relevant paragraphs:
In "The FairTax Book," the syndicated radio host Neal ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 2 Comments »
