Value Added Health Service

Are you for or against a national sales tax? (VAT ~ Value Added Taxes)?

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/05/26/AR2009052602909.html With budget deficits soaring and President Obama pushing a Trillion-dollar-plus expansion of health coverage, some Washington policymakers are taking a fresh look at a money-making idea long considered politically taboo: a national sales tax. A VAT is a tax on the transfer of goods and services that ultimately is borne by the consumer. Highly visible, it would increase the cost of just about everything, from a carton of eggs to a visit with a lawyer. It is also hugely regressive, falling heavily on the poor. But VAT advocates say those negatives could be offset by using the proceeds to pay for health care for every American -- a tangible benefit that would be highly valuable to low-income families.

Public Comments

1. I am for it if income tax is eliminated. That way, no one get around paying taxes.
2. Only If they abolished all the other taxes which they won't they want to have both. Europe uses VAT tax system but they don't pay all those other taxes we do, inc. property tax each year Abolish Property tax & death tax & we can talk.
3. If the California state sales tax would be removed I could live with it, but really how likely is that? So I guess I'm against the VAT.
4. Sure just as soon as every other form of Federal Taxation is eliminated first. This includes excise taxes, inheritance taxes and all other hidden government fees.
5. Unless they are removing income taxes, I am vehemently against a VAT.
6. anymore taxes and i will be low income and need free health care
7. I've got no problem with a national sales tax. It's a tax that bears equally on everyone. As long as everything gets the tax applied to it. However, for me to support the sales tax, something else will have to go away as I do not want an additional tax. If we could get the income tax to a flat 7-10 percent on ALL revenue or income (business and personal) the government would have more money than they could deal with plus the savings of all those IRS employees pay and all our personal difficulties with the tax system. Absolutely no deductions....just a flat tax. BAM, you're done with it.
8. but remember.. Obama will be reducing taxes for 95% of Americans.
9. I agree with the first poster. A VAT or use tax is acceptable to me.
10. re-taxing something that is already in place never works, neither does socialism... ''hand out'' health care will never work either... look at all the countries that have it... they are forced to send their ailing people here to get proper surgeries and so forth, they cannot support these things because in order to give health care to everyone the government must oppose things on the health care provides to make them give care for a certain cost, this in returned lowers the effectiveness to sustain current technologies and the search for new ones... I think we have plenty of taxes already most are already non-sense because the money isnt used for what it was said it was going to be used for! What will make us believe this will do so. Example medicare and social security... A government with enough power over its people to give them ''everything'' has enough to take it all away over night.
11. Strongly against as they want this in addition to all the taxes we now have.
12. Obama wants taxes on top of other taxes. Before his term is up, we'll just be getting an allowance of our paychecks, with 90% of our income going to the government. Change we can believe in huh? At least the "poor" will be able to pay their cell/cable bills and not have to get jobs, and we can support illegal immigrants better. How much of our money is the government going to take before Americans have had enough of it? Hurt the working people, and help the lazy. Good plan Obama.
13. I'm for it if the other forms of taxes are taken away. If the other taxes are here to stay, then I'm against it. "It is also hugely regressive, falling heavily on the poor." People seem to not realize that rich people spend far more than anyone else. Maybe this tax will actually teach people good spending habits.