The money I *work* for is not 'ours'. You're not entitled to any of it 'just because'. However, interest I earn on my investments/savings does belong to 'us'. You're entitled to a reasonable share of that, because without your contribution to the GDP, my liquid holdings would be essentially worthless.
During the course of daily life and business, I will have to make purchases. The local/state/federal governments should collect a reasonable tax on every commercial purchase I make. Private sales requiring a transfer of ownership record (autos, real property, etc) would also be taxed, though not at the same rate of the original purchase of that item. Subsequent sales would be at the same rate, but at a presumably lower sale price on most items.
The taxes collected on purchases are to be used for the common good.
With this method of taxation, 'tax evasion' would pretty much cease to exist. IRS code enforcement would remain to make sure that businesses and financial institutions properly tracked taxable sales and earnings/losses.
Tre
I dont want to distract from the main point of the thread, so i will keep it short and simple, we can revisit it later.
Consumption taxes as they are defined in the western world overwhelmingly benefit the wealthy for the simple fact that they apply to all goods (from food to survive to a ferrari to joyride) and make no allowances for how much money the buyer has.
Both you and Warren Buffet walk into starbucks and pay the same VAT on an ice latte. The difference is that Warren is a little richer than you.
That is (supposedly) not true when it comes to say income tax. (I say supposedly because Mitty the good Mormon pays 15% tax on 45 million so Christ/Joseph smith knows what is legal- and worse acceptable- in the US anymore) If you are a flat tax person then fine, my argument goes back to the "you are either rich and selfish or a fool"
In any case I would hope people here focus more on the stink surrounding this masters show, than on tax strategies for now.
PS If i get a Ron/proxy posting on the tax issue- then i will be sure that there is a huge rat on the house :-)