I think that is a program many could live with, it is definitely better than
the crap we have today.

The problem with a flat tax paid to the IRS, is the large number of people
who avoid taxes by operating in an underground economy. I would love to see
either a sales tax or VAT system, that would not tax basic necessities, i.e.
food, medical, rent cost for reasonable housing. This way, the poor are not
unfairly taxed on basic necessities, but the tax on non necessities would be
paid by all. Since the public is supporting a change in our tax system,
hopefully, we will see a major overhaul of our current system soon.


"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
Gould,
What do you think of using a VAT (Value Added Tax) similar to the tax
used
in most of Europe?

Not much.

I prefer a flat tax, with no tax extracted from the first $30,000 or so of
income. For some, that would mean no tax paid on the money earned during
the
first week of the year, and for others that would exempt all income. The
desperately poor should be absolutely untaxed- and maybe they will have
enough
left over to save and invest and start getting slightly ahead.

For the rest of us, after the same $30,000 exemption everybody else gets,
tax
income at a rate sufficient to balance the budget every year. Maybe 15,
20, or
25%. Those spendthift legislators would be more reluctant to pee away so
much
money if it meant they had to immediately tell their constituents that
taxes
were going up 2,3, or 4 percent to pay for the latest government program.

We would tax *all* income under the flat tax plan, with a streamlined
formula
for measuring "net profit" (the source of most chicanery in the current
tax
system).