Monday, August 24, 2015

Issue 662 Sales Taxes are better August 24, 2015

If we were to eliminate the income tax, then we would need a replacement to fund things like the military, and parts of the government.  The only truly viable solution is a sales tax at the federal level.  What would that entail?  Let us discuss.

Sales Tax:    The legal reasoning that sales taxes can exist is that it takes place during the brief transition period when one person's property is sold for something of equal value (in this case money).  So that exchange of property (money is also your property) is the loophole that allows it to occur.  Keep in mind that if nothing is expected in return, say with inheritance, this loophole does not exist for there is nothing of value being exchanged.  

There is a few forms that this tax comes in with respect to how it is implemented and used.  In this case the sales tax will be on the final sale of goods.  Basically when you shop for a book, a computer or other product.  New homes also count as well.  But we cannot have exceptions for this to work.  As such, food and medicine will also need to be taxed as well.  Why? You ask.  Simple, by placing any exceptions, then the taxes on the other items will go up to compensate which may make other goods too expensive for the poor.  Your counter argument at this point is, that despite my argument, sales taxes make food and medicine more expensive and thus hurts the poor regardless.  I am correct right?  Well, here is my counter to that.  It will only affect a very small group of the impoverished in our nation.  Reason being is that as the poor are taxed via the income tax, they must expend time and effort to keep records and other time wasting exercises that are expensive all just to comply with the current tax code.  But by eliminating income taxes and most all other taxes, they will have the money to afford those goods like food and medicine (though medicine becoming cheaper is also an additional issue that must be addressed). So, all other taxes (save property which will be tomorrow's issue) are gone save sales taxes on all goods.  This means that all the taxes on businesses and investments that hinder profit, economic, job and income growth are now eliminated.  Therefore the poorest person would be the people who are homeless, which again is another issue that needs to be addressed in a different way, though eliminating taxes that would potentially harm their ability to get out of homelessness is a big step in the right direction.  

A sales tax is also fairer.  There is also no longer any special deductions, or special interests to try and manipulate the tax code.  No more tax cheats either as people are paying taxes when they buy goods.  As such, the businesses are collecting the taxes for us, from our buying items.  So we pay more taxes if we spend more, and pay less taxes if we spend less.  In such a system, we the consumer decide how much too actually pay in taxes per year.  And now you may be asking, but the government will be lobbied anyway to make exceptions and keep the other taxes?  Yes that is true, but if we remove the 16th Amendment to the United States Constitution which allows the government to tax us directly, then it is possible if the amendment creating the sales tax is worded properly.  In this case, the amendment would read something like this: The United States federal government is hereby authorized to establish a sales tax on all goods bought and sold in the United States.  However, there shalt be no exceptions on to what items are taxed and that the rate upon which those items value is taxed for all goods must be equal without question or exception.  Basically, no exceptions and no taxing one good more than another.  A truly fair and equal tax without any chance of corruption save ignoring the constitution.


Conclusion:  So what do you think of only paying a sales tax?  No need to worry about tax day or accidentally owing money to the IRS.  No more the government looting your bank account. Also, no more people not paying taxes as drug dealers, prostitutes and others who engage in illegal activities which are not taxed must still buy food, and buy other goods as well.  So they are taxed as well, which means they finally contribute to taxes.  Tourists will pay the tax too, which means tourism equals higher revenue for the government too which reduces the needs of the government to gather funds from solely its citizens.  It can work, but we just need to give it a chance.

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