Text 14481, 82 rader
Skriven 2005-10-09 23:00:45 av Raymond Yates (1:3613/48)
     Kommentar till en text av Roy Witt (1:1/22)
Ärende: forever in debt
=======================
 RW> 09 Oct 05 00:53, Raymond Yates wrote to Roy Witt:


 RW>>> Personally, I went there and read it with an open mind. I didn't
 RW>>> like it either for several reasons. #1 was that it's a 23%
 RW>>> federal sales tax.

 RY>> Which replaces the 22% you are paying now..

 RW> I think that depends on what you buy. Groceries aren't taxed, but
 RW> household things like detergents are. Food is only taxed if you eat in
 RW> a restaurant. Clothes are only subject to state sales tax...that's
 RW> about 8% or 6.25% here if it's school related expenditures. So, I see
 RW> this as a tax raise, not a savings.

Perhaps it would help of you think of it as a replacement..

 RW>>> However, you can spend up to the level they consider the poverty
 RW>>> level before you pay tax.

 RY>> And you get a check back for that each month...

 RW> That seems to me like just more un-necessary paperwork.

Not really, no it's all computerised. the government prints millions of checks
alredy, so what's a few more? also a lot of it will be EFT..

 RW>>> But, top that with a 8% state sales tax and federal, what 15%,
 RW>>> 20% - luxury tax on that $25k car and you've got a whopper of a
 RW>>> price tag. If you didn't pay cash for it, you'd be upside down
 RW>>> in it for the remainder of the loan (now 6y).

 RY>> Luxury tax goes away.

 RW> Sure, because it's a federal tax. What about the state sales tax?

Still have that, that's a state's problem. might change that too if the
Federal thing works out, though. That'd be nice.

 RY>> Also, remember you have more money to start with, like 100% of
 RY>> your paycheck.

 RW> I'm not impressed. That means that people will feel like they've got a
 RW> lot of extra cash, and so they'll spend it like they do, thus paying
 RW> even more taxes and not saving anything for their later years.

Or, not. One of the groups that is against the Fairtax is the National
Association of Retailers, based on the perception that people will be
encouraged to save.. which would be bad for thier members.

 RW>>> I liked the flat tax they proposed at 15% all around, better,
 RW>>> but it didn't have the 'poverty' clause.

 RY>> Also had tons of exclusions that the K Street boys liked as it
 RY>> kept them in business (that's the tax lobbyists they make six
 RY>> figures stealing your money)

 RW> Probably. The other alternative to that one was a national sales tax,
 RW> similar to this one, but with a lower rate. 15%...

 RW>>> Maybe the best part of either is that there's no more paper work
 RW>>> for John Q Public...just the merchant, and he's already doing
 RW>>> sales tax returns every quarter, so what's a few more hours
 RW>>> going to hurt?

 RY>> Not even that, it's automated.

 RW> That hasn't been my experience. When I first started out in my own
 RW> business, it was all done by hand...sure you can get computer software
 RW> to make it easier and even buy cash registers that figure all that out
 RW> for you, but you still have to have someone with hands on to pay those
 RW> taxes. And they fine you if you're late or mis-figure your tax. I
 RW> eventually turned in my resale tax license and only charged my
 RW> customers for the labor used to 'improve' their materials. If I had to
 RW> go out and buy it, I'd pay the tax then and there. Let somebody else
 RW> do their bidding.

Did I mention that a small portion of the tax collected the business get to
keep? For the cost of doing all that work..

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 * Origin: Ray's Rocket Shop - Out to Launch (1:3613/48)