Is the Fair Tax appealing?

[GALTGULCH8]

Gary Johnson advocates that the Fair Tax replace our current tax system.

He suggests you look up www.fairtax.org to see the details of the fair tax.

No more tax on income, only on consumption with a prebate for those below the poverty level.

It looks like the rate would be 23% on anything purchased paid to the retail store which would be paid for the collection service.

It appears to replace any other tax currently in place.

I wonder what Ayn Rand would have thought of this.

[Dglgmut]

I don't understand the point of taxing trade, period. The more trade, the better.

Property tax is the only thing that makes sense to me. The more you own, the more you pay for your protection.

[GALTGULCH8]

I know of elderly widows who are forced to sell their homes because they are unable to come up with the property tax which is a local tax mostly to support pay for teachers. I don't suppose you are in favor of that. You end up never being able to own your home!

I see people paying their property tax in town and saying: "Here is my rental payment!"

I am certainly not in favor of supporting teacher pay with property tax. There is no justification for taxing people who have no children or no children currently in school to pay for the education of other people's children's education.

So what is the best solution? No tax on trade, nor on income, nor on sales, nor on inheritance, nor on property, nor on capital gains!

Tax for what? The police and the military? Tax on contracts!

[jts]

Ayn Rand said: "Hat in hand is better than gun in hand" . Taxes are gun in hand. Government should be supported by voluntary donations, hat in hand.

Furthermore, people should be able to specify which branch of government their voluntary donations go to. If you don't like a war that is happening, don't support the military. Maybe support the police instead.

Someone will ask, what if government doesn't get enough voluntary donations? Then government will shape up or shut down. If it doesn't shape up, it deserves to be shut down. If it deserves support, it will get voluntary support.

[Dglgmut]

Well, with a limited government that protected liberty and nothing more property tax would make perfect sense, no? If it's going to pay for schools and such, well, then you're right.

In a anarcho-capitalist society how would a protection agency determine their fees? They would have to evaluate the cost of protecting each person differently. How much property you own is part of that, where you keep it, etc...

Maybe it's no use trying to figure out a fair way of taxation. Maybe a fair tax would be the fair-est and most practical.