Education Archive
Purchasing Power - The Forgotten Factor
May 2, 2008 · Category: Education
In many recent posts, I've noticed that purchasing power is often forgotten about in tax comparisons between the FairTax and the current tax system. Since many discussions assume employees get gross wages, we also ...
Posted by Morphh · 11 Comments »
Effects on corporate finance
April 6, 2008 · Category: Education
Poster Cesinco poses this question:
Oddly enough, you may find that one of the biggest obstacles [the FairTax will have] to overcome is from the corporations themselves, who would no longer have any corporate taxes to ...
Posted by Mark Bostleman · 12 Comments »
Why income is irrelevant in a consumption based tax
April 5, 2008 · Category: Education
Often, the taxes paid in a consumption model like the FairTax are indexed against income in an attempt to convert it back to an income model. With this conversion in place, it is then ...
Posted by Mark Bostleman · 84 Comments »
Redefining Regressive?
April 5, 2008 · Category: Education
At the end of this post, the discussion turned to the definition of "regressive" in the context of taxation. I thought this discussion should be promoted to its own topic because, even though it ...
Posted by Mark Bostleman · 48 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 »
How Much of Embedded Taxes Is Payroll?
From reader Ed Dennis:
I need an explanation of the % of embedded taxes that are not wage related.
I have heard proponents of the Fair Tax say that you will get to keep everything you make. ...
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 »
New ‘Answering the Critics’ Book: Reactions?
February 12, 2008 · Category: Education
Hayden knows how to get a new thread started around here:
I think we need a new thread to discuss the new book, Answering the Critics. I read it in the bookstore over lunch. ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 70 Comments »
The Economic Benefits of a Consumption Tax?
February 12, 2008 · Category: Education
When I first learned about the FairTax, one of its most immediately attractive features, to me, was that it taxed consumption rather than income.
Consumption taxes, as many economists have pointed out, are far ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 9 Comments »
Questions about the FairTax from a Landlord
February 8, 2008 · Category: Education
From a reader named Chris, who is a landlord:
I have tried to read several posts about how the fair tax will affect landlords and tenants. I have read the Fair Tax book, and also ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 48 Comments »
Kevin Geary on Why to Support the FairTax
January 21, 2008 · Category: Education
Reader Kevin Geary has made a run at presenting his reasons for supporting the FairTax, and why you should to.
Posted by Joshua Zader · 30 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 »
Taxes and Prices
January 4, 2008 · Category: Education
Here is a brief essay sent by reader Ralph Layman, partly in response to our thread "No Such Thing" as an Embedded Tax?...
Jobs and Taxes
Nearly 50 years ago, I was hired to teach pre-algebra ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 13 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 »
Increased Visibility of the FairTax
From reader Andrew Martin:
Great site. I am a fair tax supporter, but I really enjoy the cordial debate that goes on here.
The main reason I support the fair tax is visibility. ...
Posted by Joshua Zader · 19 Comments »
