Besides a US VAT likely being added on top of the current system, it was
also be highly disruptive to the economy. Income shouldn't be taxes,
purchases should be, but there's still the issue of fairness. Should food be
a VAT? Should a person who makes under $30K pay the same percentage VAT for
a beater car as a richy rich pays for a Rolls?

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Dave" wrote in message
...
On Mon, 04 Dec 2006 15:59:45 -0500, DSK said:

Why is it not considered greedy to get other people to work
and take profit from their labor? Is that not a tax upon the
laborers?

Where do you get this stuff, anyway? Private parties do not have the legal
power to require payment of taxes.

[snip]

Seems to work for a number of Balkan and European countries,

Which have vastly different tax structures including a VAT tax.

Are you in favor of a federally imposed VAT tax?

Some do and some don't. Estonia, which in the most recent ratings is rated
as more free than the US in economic terms, has a flat rate income tax.

VAT does have some advantages. In particular, if you want to encourage
savings and capital formation, tax consumption rather than earnings.
Problem
in the US is that if it VAT were enacted, it would no doubt simply be
layered on top of the existing system, further increasing the pot of gold
available to hire bureaucrats and hand the money one guy earns to somebody
else who didn't earn it.