A VAT Would Finance the Road to Serfdom

« The Left-Wing Drumbeat for a Value-Added Tax Gets Louder

A VAT Would Finance the Road to Serfdom

October 14, 2009 by Dan Mitchell

This blog has been warning about the danger of a value-added tax. We’ve cited the salivating comments of Speaker Pelosi. We’ve noted the favorable comments by Obama insiders like the former Co-Chairman of his transition team. We know the battle is coming. Now we need to fight. This newly-released video from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity provides the data showing that this is a do-or-die fight. If we lose, there is no hope of stopping statism. Blocking a VAT is not a sufficient condition to protect America from becoming a French-style welfare state, but it is a necessary condition.

Posted in Big Government, Center for Freedom and Prosperity, Economics, Fiscal Policy, Government Spending, Pelosi, Spending, Tax Competition, Taxation, Value-Added Tax, VAT, Video | Tagged Big Government, Obama, Pelosi, Tax, Taxation, Value-Added Tax, VAT, Video | 151 Comments

151 Responses

on June 22, 2010 at 9:08 am Top House Democrat Calls for Middle-Class Tax Hikes « International Liberty

[...] June 22, 2010 by Dan Mitchell I’ve frequently argued that the main purpose of “taxing the rich” is not to collect more revenue. Smart leftists, after all, understand that there are very strong Laffer Curve effects at the top of the income scale since investors and entrepreneurs have considerable ability to control the timing, level, and composition of their income. So if higher tax rates on upper-income taxpayers don’t collect much revenue, why is the left so insistent on class-warfare taxation? The answer, I think, is that soak-the-rich taxes are a “loss-leader” that politicians impose in order to pave the way for higher taxes on the middle class. Indeed, I made this point in my video on class warfare taxation, and noted that are not enough rich people to finance big government. As such, politicians that want to tax the middle class hope to soften opposition among ordinary people by first punishing society’s most productive people. We already know that tax rates on the so-called rich will jump next January thanks to higher income tax rates, higher capital gains tax rates, more double taxation of dividends, and higher death taxes. Now the politicians are preparing to drop the other shoe. Excerpted below is a blurb from the Washington Post about a member of the House Democratic leadership urging middle-class tax hikes, and let’s not forgot all the politicians salivating for a value-added tax. [...]
on June 22, 2010 at 12:04 pm Top House Democrat Calls for Middle-Class Tax Hikes (and the real reason why) | Think Tank West

[...] the House Democratic leadership urging middle-class tax hikes, and let’s not forgot all the politicians salivating for a value-added tax. Tax cuts that benefit the middle class should not be “totally sacrosanct” as [...]
on June 28, 2010 at 1:09 pm Top House Democrat Calls for Middle-Class Tax Hikes « The Market Center Blog

[...] of the House Democratic leadership urging middle-class tax hikes, and let’s not forgot all the politicians salivating for a value-added tax. Tax cuts that benefit the middle class should not be “totally sacrosanct” as policymakers try [...]
on August 20, 2010 at 4:58 pm Center for Freedom and Prosperity » Top House Democrat Calls for Middle-Class Tax Hikes

[...] of the House Democratic leadership urging middle-class tax hikes, and let’s not forgot all the politicians salivating for a value-added tax. Tax cuts that benefit the middle class should not be “totally sacrosanct” as policymakers try [...]
on August 24, 2010 at 11:34 am New York Times Seeks Higher Taxes on the “Rich” as Prelude to Higher Taxes on the Middle Class « International Liberty

[...] welfare state without a value-added tax, but they don’t want to publicly associate themselves with that view until the political environment is more conducive to success. Most important, they realize that it [...]
on August 24, 2010 at 5:44 pm New York Times Seeks Higher Taxes on the “Rich” as Prelude to Higher Taxes on the Middle Class « The Market Center Blog

[...] welfare state without a value-added tax, but they don’t want to publicly associate themselves with that view until the political environment is more conducive to success. Most important, they realize that it [...]
on August 25, 2010 at 3:02 pm » New York Times Seeks Higher Taxes on the ‘Rich’ as Prelude to Higher Taxes on the Middle Class - Big Government

[...] welfare state without a value-added tax, but they don’t want to publicly associate themselves with that view until the political environment is more conducive to success. Most important, they realize that it [...]
on September 1, 2010 at 12:28 pm More Arguments Against a Value-Added Tax « International Liberty

[...] to fiscal responsibility is a value-added tax, as I’ve explained here, here, here, here, and here. So I’m delighted to see a growing amount of research showing that a VAT is bad news. Jim [...]
on September 1, 2010 at 5:28 pm More Arguments Against a Value-Added Tax « The Market Center Blog

[...] to fiscal responsibility is a value-added tax, as I’ve explained here, here, here, here, and here. So I’m delighted to see a growing amount of research showing that a VAT is bad news. Jim Powell [...]
on October 7, 2010 at 6:32 am New York Times Seeks Higher Taxes on the ‘Rich’ as Prelude to Higher Taxes on the Middle Class | Cato @ Liberty

[...] welfare state without a value-added tax, but they don’t want to publicly associate themselves with that view until the political environment is more conducive to success. Most important, they realize that it [...]
on October 15, 2010 at 4:10 pm Mitch Daniels Would Be a Terrible President « International Liberty

[...] evidence, Daniels has indicated that he is open to a value-added tax (and energy taxes as well). A VAT would be a fiscal catastrophe for America, paving the way for European-style statism. Here’s an excerpt from Politico. Indiana [...]
on October 17, 2010 at 10:51 am Mitch Daniels Would Be a Terrible President « The Market Center Blog

[...] evidence, Daniels has indicated that he is open to a value-added tax (and energy taxes as well). A VAT would be a fiscal catastrophe for America, paving the way for European-style statism. Here’s an excerpt from Politico. Indiana Gov. Mitch [...]
on October 20, 2010 at 10:09 am The False Choice Bewteen a VAT and Impossible Spending Cuts « International Liberty

[...] news for taxpayers. From a policy perspective, I’m very much against a VAT because it will finance bigger government, as explained in this [...]
on October 20, 2010 at 11:20 am The False Choice Between a VAT and Impossible Spending Cuts « The Market Center Blog

[...] bad news for taxpayers. From a policy perspective, I’m very much against a VAT because it will finance bigger government, as explained in this [...]
on November 4, 2010 at 11:48 am What Happens When Politicians Get a New Source of Revenue? « International Liberty

[...] to travel. But, more important, imagine what American politicians will do if they ever succeed in imposing a value-added tax. The rate initially will be low (just as the original income tax had a top rate of just 7 percent), [...]
on November 4, 2010 at 12:24 pm What Happens When Politicians Get a New Source of Revenue? « The Market Center Blog

[...] to travel. But, more important, imagine what American politicians will do if they ever succeed in imposing a value-added tax. The rate initially will be low (just as the original income tax had a top rate of just 7 percent), [...]
on November 7, 2010 at 1:56 am What Happens When Politicians Get a New Source of Revenue? (Cato @ Liberty Blog)

[...] to travel. But, more important, imagine what American politicians will do if they ever succeed in imposing a value-added tax. The rate initially will be low (just as the original income tax had a top rate of just 7 percent), [...]
on November 17, 2010 at 4:38 pm Another Tax-Hike Scheme from another “Bipartisan” Group of Washington Insiders « International Liberty

[...] The Task Force proposes a value-added tax, which is estimated to generate more than $3 trillion between 2012 and 2020. They call this new tax [...]
on November 17, 2010 at 6:39 pm Another Tax-Hike Scheme from another “Bipartisan” Group of Washington Insiders « The Market Center Blog

[...] The Task Force proposes a value-added tax, which is estimated to generate more than $3 trillion between 2012 and 2020. They call this new tax [...]
on November 20, 2010 at 7:32 pm Another Tax-Hike Scheme from Another ‘Bipartisan’ Group of Washington Insiders (Cato @ Liberty Blog)

[...] Task Force proposes a value-added tax, which is estimated to generate more than $3 trillion between 2012 and 2020. They call this new tax [...]
on December 17, 2010 at 1:02 am The False Choice Between a VAT and Impossible Spending Cuts | Cato @ Liberty

[...] news for taxpayers. From a policy perspective, I’m very much against a VAT because it will finance bigger government, as explained in this [...]
on January 3, 2011 at 10:26 am Five Things We Should Worry about in 2011 « International Liberty

[...] deal, sort of like a football team trading a great young quarterback for a 35-year old lineman. The VAT would give statists a money machine that they need to turn the United States into a French-style welfare state. This type of national [...]
on January 5, 2011 at 2:22 am Three Things We Should Worry about in 2011 (Cato @ Liberty Blog)

[...] deal, sort of like a football team trading a great young quarterback for a 35-year old lineman. The VAT would give statists a money machine that they need to turn the United States into a French-style welfare state. This type of national [...]
on January 5, 2011 at 2:22 pm Three Things We Should Worry about in 2011 | Cato @ Liberty

[...] deal, sort of like a football team trading a great young quarterback for a 35-year old lineman. The VAT would give statists a money machine that they need to turn the United States into a French-style welfare state. This type of national [...]
on January 6, 2011 at 6:03 pm Five Things We Should Worry about in 2011 « The Market Center Blog

[...] deal, sort of like a football team trading a great young quarterback for a 35-year old lineman. The VAT would give statists a money machine that they need to turn the United States into a French-style welfare state. This type of national [...]
on February 1, 2011 at 5:21 pm Mitt Romney: The Obama Republican « International Liberty

[...] system that Romney imposed on Massachusetts. And if I was to pick the Republican most likely to impose a VAT on America, it would be a corporatist GOPer like Romney. Axelrod, one of Obama’s most trusted [...]
on February 1, 2011 at 8:08 pm Mitt Romney: The Obama Republican « Sago

[...] system that Romney imposed on Massachusetts. And if I was to pick the Republican most likely to impose a VAT on America, it would be a corporatist GOPer like Romney. Axelrod, one of Obama’s most trusted [...]
on June 15, 2011 at 8:34 am The Not-so-Secret Left-Wing Agenda to Increase the Burden of Government – and How to Stop It « International Liberty

[...] revenue that would be necessary to finance promised entitlement benefits. As I’ve noted before, the VAT is a giant source of tax revenue, so the left no longer would have to worry about financing a European-sized welfare state. After [...]
on June 15, 2011 at 11:48 pm » Saying ‘Hell No’ to Tax Increases Is Key in Fight against Left-Wing Agenda to Increase the Burden of Government - Big Government

[...] revenue that would be necessary to finance promised entitlement benefits. As I’ve noted before, the VAT is a giant source of tax revenue, so the left no longer would have to worry about financing a European-sized welfare state. After [...]
on June 23, 2011 at 7:33 am Arguing about Class-Warfare Taxation with Robert Reich « International Liberty

[...] I should have known to force myself back into the discussion. I did get in a final warning about the value-added tax, but this was not my best [...]
on July 26, 2011 at 6:02 pm You Should Support a Value-Added Tax…if You Want Bigger Government and More Debt « International Liberty

[...] five other witnesses, and all of the other people testifying were sympathetic to a VAT. But since I had truth on my side, that made it a fair fight (though it did cross my mind that it’s not a good sign when a [...]
on July 26, 2011 at 10:45 pm » You Should Support a Value-Added Tax…if You Want Bigger Government and More Debt - Big Government

[...] five other witnesses, and all of the other people testifying were sympathetic to a VAT. But since I had truth on my side, that made it a fair fight (though it did cross my mind that it’s not a good sign when a [...]
on July 30, 2011 at 9:08 am Basic Economics for Financial Journalists and Other Dummies « International Liberty

[...] steak every night. But since I’m a cranky libertarian, let’s assume Obama has imposed a European-style 20 percent VAT and the tax burden has [...]
on July 31, 2011 at 7:14 pm Basic Economics for Financial Journalists and Other Dummies | Ask Lawyer

[...] steak every night. But since I’m a cranky libertarian, let’s assume Obama has imposed a European-style 20 percent VAT and the tax burden has [...]
on August 1, 2011 at 6:08 am » Basic Economics for Financial Journalists and Other Dummies - Big Government

[...] steak every night. But since I’m a cranky libertarian, let’s assume Obama has imposed a European-style 20 percent VAT and the tax burden has [...]
on August 2, 2011 at 1:44 pm Basic Economics for Financial Journalists and Other Dummies | Cato @ Liberty

[...] steak every night. But since I’m a cranky libertarian, let’s assume Obama has imposed a European-style 20 percent VAT and the tax burden has [...]
on August 31, 2011 at 9:02 am Let’s Send Obama to the Vatican for an Economics Lesson « International Liberty

[...] value-added tax, not surprisingly, has played a key role in Europe’s fiscal [...]
on September 25, 2011 at 1:21 pm Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 Plan Is Great in Theory, but… « International Liberty

[...] me put it more bluntly. A national sales tax – such as a Fair Tax or a VAT – would be a less destructive way of raising revenue than the current tax [...]
on October 4, 2011 at 11:42 am The Danish Dr.-Jekyll-Mr.-Hyde Paradox and Wagner’s Law « International Liberty

[...] the big expansion of the welfare state in the 1960s (which was made possible by the money maching known as the value-added tax) has slowed growth in western nations. The only silver lining to that dark cloud is that at least [...]
on November 11, 2011 at 9:23 am Per Dollar Spent, OECD Subsidies May Be the Most Destructively Wasteful Part of the Federal Budget « International Liberty

[...] This Center for Freedom and Prosperity study has all the gory details. The OECD bureaucrats (who get tax-free salaries, by the way) endorsed Obamacare, supported the failed stimulus, and are big advocates of a value-added tax for America. [...]
on November 15, 2011 at 1:01 pm OECD Subsidies May Be The Most Destructively Wasteful Part of the Federal Budget « Brave New Libertarian World

[...] This Center for Freedom and Prosperity study has all the gory details. The OECD bureaucrats (who get tax-free salaries, by the way) endorsed Obamacare, supported the failed stimulus, and are big advocates of a value-added tax for America. [...]
on November 17, 2011 at 8:27 am Five Lessons for America from the European Fiscal Crisis « International Liberty

[...] A value-added tax would be a disaster. This was music to my ears since I have repeatedly warned that the statists won’t be able to impose a European-style welfare state in the United States [...]
on November 17, 2011 at 12:37 pm « Does Socialism Work? A Classroom Experiment Five Lessons for America from the European Fiscal Crisis « A Moral Outrage

[...] A value-added tax would be a disaster. This was music to my ears since I have repeatedly warned that the statists won’t be able to impose a European-style welfare state in the United States [...]
on November 17, 2011 at 8:06 pm 5 Lessons from The European Financial Crisis | MyGovCost | Government Cost Calculator

[...] value-added tax would be a disaster. This was music to my ears since I have repeatedly warned that the statists won’t be able to impose a European-style welfare state in the United States [...]
on November 19, 2011 at 11:31 am Two easy pictures: How the welfare state begins and ends | Eternity Matters

[...] value-added tax would be a disaster. This was music to my ears sinceI have repeatedly warned that the statists won’t be able to impose a European-style welfare state in the United States [...]
on January 4, 2012 at 8:00 am Mitt Romney, the Value-Added Tax, and America’s European Future « International Liberty

[...] a column for today’s Wall Street Journal, I elaborated on those concerns, explaining why a VAT is bad fiscal policy. I had three main points. First, I noted that the big spenders need a VAT in order to achieve a [...]
on January 4, 2012 at 10:04 am » Mitt Romney, the Value-Added Tax, and America’s European Future - Big Government

[...] a column for today’s Wall Street Journal, I elaborated on those concerns, explaining why a VAT is bad fiscal policy. I had three main points. First, I noted that the big spenders need a VAT in order to achieve a [...]
on January 4, 2012 at 10:52 am Mitt Romney, the Value-Added Tax, and America’s European Future « ConservativeWatchNews.com

[...] a column for today’s Wall Street Journal, I elaborated on those concerns, explaining why a VAT is bad fiscal policy. I had three main points. First, I noted that the big spenders need a VAT in order to achieve a [...]
on January 16, 2012 at 1:36 pm New Evidence from Japan Shows Why Romney’s Interest in a Value-Added Tax Is so Troubling « International Liberty

[...] One of my key points was that the VAT is a money machine for big government. [...]
on January 16, 2012 at 5:22 pm » New Evidence from Japan Shows Why Romney’s Interest in a Value-Added Tax Is So Troubling - Big Government

[...] One of my key points was that the VAT is a money machine for big government. [...]
on February 5, 2012 at 8:07 am » Should the United Nations Have the Power to Impose Global Taxes? - Big Government

[...] tempted to say the value-added tax since our hopes of restraining the federal government will be greatly undermined if we give the [...]
on February 5, 2012 at 8:39 am Should the United Nations Have the Power to Impose Global Taxes? « News « @griffinrc

[...] tempted to say the value-added tax since our hopes of restraining the federal government will be greatly undermined if we give the [...]
on February 5, 2012 at 11:03 am Should the United Nations Have the Power to Impose Global Taxes? | PERSUASION IN INK

[...] tempted to say the value-added tax since our hopes of restraining the federal government will be greatly undermined if we give the [...]
on February 5, 2012 at 10:06 pm Should the United Nations Have the Power to Impose Global Taxes? | Sago

[...] tempted to say the value-added tax since our hopes of restraining the federal government will be greatly undermined if we give the [...]
on February 5, 2012 at 10:08 pm Should the United Nations Have the Power to Impose Global Taxes? | Bid Government – Resources and Bidding Information

[...] tempted to say the value-added tax since our hopes of restraining the federal government will be greatly undermined if we give the [...]
on February 6, 2012 at 9:36 pm Should the United Nations Have the Power to Impose Global Taxes? | MTR

[...] tempted to say the value-added tax since our hopes of restraining the federal government will be greatly undermined if we give the [...]
on February 7, 2012 at 8:20 am Global Taxes? Hmmm… » insignificant thoughts

[...] tempted to say the value-added tax since our hopes of restraining the federal government will be greatly undermined if we give the [...]
on March 8, 2012 at 2:02 pm The Return of Much-Needed Medicaid Reform « International Liberty

[...] are all good points. The bottom line is that failure to reform entitlements guarantees that politicians eventually will impose a value-added tax. Or they’ll push red ink to unsustainable levels. Actually, based on what’s happened in [...]
on March 21, 2012 at 8:02 am Congressman Ryan’s Budget Restrains Spending Growth, Allows Private Sector to Expand Faster than Burden of Government « International Liberty

[...] I’m happy to report that there is no value-added tax in the revenue portion of Congressman Ryan’s budget. There is a VAT in his Roadmap plan, and [...]
on March 26, 2012 at 1:59 pm Ryan’s plan better than Democrat’s plan but not as good as Rand Paul’s « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] I’m happy to report that there is no value-added tax in the revenue portion of Congressman Ryan’s budget. There is a VAT in his Roadmap plan, and I [...]
on March 28, 2012 at 9:10 am Explaining Pro-Growth Tax Reform to the Senate Budget Committee « International Liberty

[...] do the flat tax and national sales tax (and even the value-added tax) have in [...]
on March 30, 2012 at 10:28 am New Developments from Japan Show the Left Is Wrong on Two Big Fiscal Issues « International Liberty

[...] The left isn’t wrong. They know the higher taxes lead to higher spending, and they know the VAT is a money machine for big government. They just don’t publicly admit these are the results they want. Rate this: Share [...]
on April 11, 2012 at 10:21 am The 2001 and 2003 Tax Cuts Should Not Be Allowed to Expire « International Liberty

[...] For instance, we both testified to the Ways & Means Committee last year about the value-added tax, and he sided with all the other witnesses and favored adding a pernicious European-style national sales tax on top of the income tax. [...]
on April 11, 2012 at 4:21 pm A Great Political Cartoon (after a bit of editing) « International Liberty

[...] another cartoon that you’ll appreciate. It’s not by Chuck Asay, but it bashes the value-added tax, and that’s a quick way to get on my good [...]
on April 12, 2012 at 8:42 am Against 3-1 Odds, Promoting Good Tax Policy on Government TV « International Liberty

[...] When I testified to the Ways & Means Committee about the VAT, I was a lone voice against this pernicious tax while the other four witnesses supported making America more like [...]
on April 13, 2012 at 2:32 pm The European Evidence Shows Why the Left’s Real Goal Is Higher Taxes on the Middle Class « International Liberty

[...] value-added tax, which averages 21 percent in Europe, is a huge shadow income tax on lower-income and middle-income [...]
on April 23, 2012 at 7:16 am Dan Mitchell of the Cato Institute takes on liberals on PBS « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] When I testified to the Ways & Means Committee about the VAT, I was a lone voice against this pernicious tax while the other four witnesses supported making America more like [...]
on May 3, 2012 at 10:00 am Regarding the Value-Added Tax, Josh Barro Is Completely Right…and that’s Why He’s Completely Wrong « International Liberty

[...] see eye to eye on this issue, but that would be a rash assumption. While I see a giant new tax as a dangerous step on the road to serfdom, Josh thinks it’s a necessary and desirable reform. …it is time to reconsider a VAT. It [...]
on June 9, 2012 at 10:39 am Anti-Obesity Efforts Mean More Bloated Government, not Better Health « International Liberty

[...] I assume this cartoon was designed to show why a value-added tax is a bad idea, but it’s very appropriate for this topic as [...]
on June 18, 2012 at 8:57 am Will the Economy Sink Obama in November? « International Liberty

[...] be an improvement, especially if the warning signs are correct and he saddles the country with a value-added tax, so the American people may be tossed from one frying pan to [...]
on June 19, 2012 at 7:48 am Obama going to win in November or will economy sink him? « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] be an improvement, especially if the warning signs are correct and he saddles the country with a value-added tax, so the American people may be tossed from one frying pan to [...]
on June 29, 2012 at 9:27 am Big Government Cripples Incentives to Save, Promotes Risky Culture of Immediate Gratification « International Liberty

[...] I should have mentioned that some politicians think that we can boost savings by imposing a value-added tax! This is not only a perverse example of Mitchell’s law, but it’s also completely [...]
on July 8, 2012 at 7:47 am Open letter to President Obama (Part 106) « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] When I testified to the Ways & Means Committee about the VAT, I was a lone voice against this pernicious tax while the other four witnesses supported making America more like [...]
on July 24, 2012 at 11:23 am Should Politicians Get a New Tax Without First Abolishing an Existing Tax? « International Liberty

[...] explained before that I’m skeptical of the Fair Tax, hostile to the value-added tax, and opposed to other forms of a national sales tax for the simple reason that I don’t trust [...]
on August 10, 2012 at 9:21 am More Leftists Let Their Masks Slip, Admit They Want Big Tax Hikes on the Middle Class « International Liberty

[...] I am 100 percent confident, for instance, that they intend big tax hikes on the middle class, even though they would piously swear an oath to the contrary. Indeed, I suspect more than 90 percent of them secretly would like a value-added tax. [...]
on August 10, 2012 at 7:43 pm More Leftists Let Their Masks Slip, Admit They Want Big Tax Hikes on the Middle Class | Sago

[...] I am 100 percent confident, for instance, that they intend big tax hikes on the middle class, even though they would piously swear an oath to the contrary. Indeed, I suspect more than 90 percent of them secretly would like a value-added tax. [...]
on August 11, 2012 at 6:16 am Leftists Admit They Want Big Tax Hikes on the Middle Class - Conservative Read

[...] I am 100 percent confident, for instance, that they intend big tax hikes on the middle class, even though they would piously swear an oath to the contrary. Indeed, I suspect more than 90 percent of them secretly would like a value-added tax. [...]
on August 11, 2012 at 10:41 am Does It Matter that Paul Ryan Is on the GOP Ticket? « International Liberty

[...] Romney and Ryan are somewhat sympathetic to a value-added tax. My worst-case scenario is they win the election, but then can’t get a good budget approved [...]
on August 11, 2012 at 12:14 pm Dan Mitchell of Cato Institute discusses Paul Ryan VP pick « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] Romney and Ryan are somewhat sympathetic to a value-added tax. My worst-case scenario is they win the election, but then can’t get a good budget approved [...]
on August 11, 2012 at 5:23 pm Leftists Admit They Want Big Tax Hikes on the Middle Class - Christian Forums

[...] swear an oath to the contrary. Indeed, I suspect more than 90 percent of them secretly would like a value-added tax. It’s not that they necessarily dislike ordinary people, but privately they understand that [...]
on August 12, 2012 at 6:34 am Just as Happened in Europe, the VAT Is Becoming a Money Machine for Big Govenrment in Japan « International Liberty

[...] In this video, I explain why this European-style national sales tax is a money machine for bigger government. [...]
on August 12, 2012 at 1:49 pm Does It Matter that Paul Ryan Is on the GOP Ticket? | AudacityOfHypocrisy.com

[...] somewhat sympathetic to a value-added tax. My worst-case scenario is they win the election, but then can’t get a good budget approved [...]
on August 15, 2012 at 12:34 am Leftists Admit They Want Big Tax Hikes on the Middle Class - OBAMA-B-GONE

[...] swear an oath to the contrary. Indeed, I suspect more than 90 percent of them secretly would like a value-added tax. var AdBrite_Title_Color = 'FFFF66'; var AdBrite_Text_Color = 'FFFFFF'; var [...]
on August 17, 2012 at 9:15 am It’s Not April Fool’s Day, but New York Times Columnist Wants America to Become More Prosperous by Raising Taxes on the Middle Class and Becoming More Like Italy « International Liberty

[...] it’s particularly worrisome to see that the author wants a value-added tax, which is a sure-fire way of giving politicians a big pile of money that will be used to expand the [...]
on August 17, 2012 at 2:01 pm President Obama Is MIA on Fiscal Policy « International Liberty

[...] own personal guess is that he would impose a value-added tax if he thought it was politically feasible. Not that I’m showing any great insight. After all, [...]
on August 28, 2012 at 8:09 am Do You Trust the Republican Party to Protect, Promote, and Defend Liberty? « International Liberty

[...] Mitt Romney wins and proposes to burden the U.S. economy with a value-added tax, would a majority of Republicans rise up in revolt and oppose that dangerous [...]
on August 31, 2012 at 10:24 am A Miserable and Hopeless Fiscal Outlook for the United Kingdom « International Liberty

[...] (see these amusing posters to understand why this was a foolish idea), along with a big hike in the value-added tax (though, to be fair, the corporate rate has been slightly reduced and part of Gordon Brown’s [...]
on August 31, 2012 at 1:37 pm Spending Cuts and Tax Cuts Should Be an All-of-the-Above Option, Not an Either-Or Choice « International Liberty

[...] That would mean some progress on the spending side and presumably reduce the risk of bad things (like a VAT!) on the revenue side. Rate this:Share [...]
on September 6, 2012 at 6:34 am When are we going to see real spending cuts? « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] That would mean some progress on the spending side and presumably reduce the risk of bad things (like a VAT!) on the revenue side. Like this:LikeBe the first to like this. By Everette Hatcher III, on [...]
on September 18, 2012 at 2:58 pm Debunking Myth after Myth in Financial Times Column by Former Clinton White House Economist « International Liberty

[...] But not because we tax rich people more. Instead, our system is more progressive because we don’t screw over lower-income and middle-income taxpayers with policies like the value-added tax. [...]
on September 24, 2012 at 9:25 am Should We Give Politicians a Carbon Tax as a New Source of Revenue? « International Liberty

[...] written many times about the dangers of a value-added tax. I obviously think it’s a bad idea as an add-on tax, but I also think it’s dangerous as [...]
on September 26, 2012 at 2:16 pm Evidence from Englands Shows that If You Want to “Soak the Rich,” Keep Tax Rates Low « International Liberty

[...] direction and presumably deserves part of the blame. The top income tax rate is now 45 percent. The value-added tax has jumped to 20 percent. Allister provides more details. Capital gains tax is too high. Luxury [...]
on October 12, 2012 at 8:43 am The Federalism Solution to the Medicaid Nightmare « International Liberty

[...] could evolve. My greatest fear is that a future president (perhaps Romney!) will decide to impose a value-added tax. In normal circumstances, that might upset state politicians since it would complicate their [...]
on October 23, 2012 at 10:11 am Will our president attempt to cut the budget? « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] own personal guess is that he would impose a value-added tax if he thought it was politically feasible. Not that I’m showing any great insight. After all, [...]
on October 26, 2012 at 3:57 pm What’s the Best Way of Achieving Good Fiscal Policy? « International Liberty

[...] of limited government should never give politicians a new source of revenue, which is why fighting the value-added tax is one of my main priorities (and why advocates of small government should be worried not just [...]
on October 29, 2012 at 8:50 am Higher Taxes on the Rich Are a Precursor to Higher Taxes on the Rest of Us « International Liberty

[...] If Obama and other statists get their way, we’ll see similar statistic in the United States. Higher income tax rates for the rich will mean higher income tax rates for the rest of us. Though I’m even more worried about a value-added tax, which would be a huge burden on ordinary people and a revenue machine for greedy politicians. [...]
on October 30, 2012 at 8:46 am Dissecting Obama’s Record on Tax Policy « International Liberty

[...] 4. High taxes on the rich are a precursor to higher taxes on everyone else – This is a point I have made on several occasions, including just yesterday. I’m particularly concerned that the politicians in Washington will boost income tax rates for everybody, then decide that even more money is needed and impose a value-added tax. [...]
on October 30, 2012 at 10:57 am Higher Taxes for the Middle Class « Constitutional Free America

[...] If Obama and other statists get their way, we’ll see similar statistic in the United States. Higher income tax rates for the rich will mean higher income tax rates for the rest of us. Though I’m even more worried about a value-added tax, which would be a huge burden on ordinary people and a revenue machine for greedy politicians. [...]
on October 31, 2012 at 7:34 am Dan Mitchell looks at Obama’s tax record « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] 4. High taxes on the rich are a precursor to higher taxes on everyone else – This is a point I have made on several occasions, including just yesterday. I’m particularly concerned that the politicians in Washington will boost income tax rates for everybody, then decide that even more money is needed and impose a value-added tax. [...]
on November 1, 2012 at 5:29 pm New International Monetary Fund Study Inadvertently Provides Very Strong Evidence against the Value-Added Tax « International Liberty

[...] Now the IMF has a new study about the relationship between economic growth and different types of taxes. Those finding are interesting, and I may even write about them in the next few days, but I want to focus on some amazing data from this research that shows exactly why proponents of limited government should resist the value-added tax. [...]
on November 7, 2012 at 9:56 am Seven Silver Linings in Yesterday’s Election Results « International Liberty

[...] 2. One of the most worrisome things about Mitt Romney is that he repeatedly refused to rule out a value-added tax when asked by the editors of the Wall Street Journal. I don’t trust politicians when they say they’ll do the right thing. So when they refuse to even give rhetorical assurances, alarm bells definitely start ringing. My nightmare scenario is that Romney would have been elected, made some half-hearted attempt to restrain spending, and then would have decided that a new source of revenue was needed once Harry Reid said no to any fiscal restraint. And as we saw during the Bush years, Republicans in Congress generally are willing to do the wrong thing when a Republican President makes the request. With Obama in the White House, it is highly unlikely that House Republicans would agree to this dangerous new tax. [...]
on November 9, 2012 at 9:04 am More Leftists Let Their Masks Slip, Admit They Want Big Tax Hikes on the Middle Class « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] I am 100 percent confident, for instance, that they intend big tax hikes on the middle class, even though they would piously swear an oath to the contrary. Indeed, I suspect more than 90 percent of them secretly would like a value-added tax. [...]
on November 10, 2012 at 1:05 pm If You Want Good Tax Policy, Choose Jersey (but not New Jersey!) « International Liberty

[...] you don’t want the government grabbing a big chunk of your income with a value-added tax, then you’re much better off with Jersey’s 5 percent rate rather than the 20 percent [...]
on November 13, 2012 at 8:23 am In the OECD’s Fantasy World, Higher VAT Taxes “Foster Growth and Employment” « International Liberty

[...] the Secretary-General of the Paris-based bureaucracy just pontificated about the value-added tax. Let’s see whether my knee-jerk hostility is [...]
on November 13, 2012 at 8:25 am Open letter to Speaker of the House John Boehner (Part 6) « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] direction and presumably deserves part of the blame. The top income tax rate is now 45 percent. The value-added tax has jumped to 20 percent. Allister provides more [...]
on November 15, 2012 at 11:57 am Another Leftist Admits the Real Goal Is Taxing the Middle Class « International Liberty

[...] If I had to guess, I would say that Obama’s ultimate goal for hurting the middle class is a value-added tax. Notwithstanding the fiscal crisis in Europe, he actually said the VAT is “something that has [...]
on November 15, 2012 at 12:07 pm Obama will have to go after middle class if he wants meaningful revenue increases « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] If I had to guess, I would say that Obama’s ultimate goal for hurting the middle class is a value-added tax. Notwithstanding the fiscal crisis in Europe, he actually said the VAT is “something that has [...]
on November 18, 2012 at 9:08 pm Two Cheers for Spain’s Anti-Tax “Carrot Rebellion” « International Liberty

[...] they were protesting the VAT, I would give them three cheers, but if they’re simply protesting the fact that theater [...]
on November 22, 2012 at 1:17 pm Richard Epstein Discusses the Flat Tax « International Liberty

[...] and no double taxation of income that is saved and invested. That can be a national sales tax or value-added tax, but it usually refers to the “Hall-Rabushka” flat tax championed by Dick Armey and [...]
on November 28, 2012 at 12:46 am Espagne : Une double ovation pour la « révolte de la carotte » anti-taxes - Contrepoints | Contrepoints

[...] se révoltaient contre la taxe sur la valeur ajoutée, je leur donnerais 3 ovations, mais s’ils ne font que contester le fait que désormais les [...]
on November 28, 2012 at 11:04 pm Espagne : Une double ovation pour la « révolte de la carotte » anti-taxes | Les moutons enragés

[...] se révoltaient contre la taxe sur la valeur ajoutée, je leur donnerais 3 ovations, mais s’ils ne font que contester le fait que désormais les [...]
on December 3, 2012 at 9:56 am White House Agrees with Me, Admits Tax Revenues Will Climb above Long-Run Average Even if All Tax Cuts Are Made Permanent « International Liberty

[...] So the ultimate target will be the middle class, as more and more statists are admitting, and the most worrisome threat is the value-added tax. [...]
on December 3, 2012 at 10:30 am White House Agrees with Me, Admits Tax Revenues Will Climb above Long-Run Average Even if All Tax Cuts Are Made Permanent | Cato @ Liberty

[...] So the ultimate target will be the middle class, as more and more statists are admitting, and the most worrisome threat is the value-added tax. [...]
on December 4, 2012 at 10:44 pm Train Wreck Approaching… | Tennesseans Watching Federal & State Government

[...] So the ultimate target will be the middle class, asmore and more statists are admitting, and the most worrisome threat isthe value-added tax. [...]
on December 7, 2012 at 5:48 pm Learning from the European Experience: Do Higher Tax Burdens Lead to Less Red Ink? « International Liberty

[...] surprisingly, it shows that the tax burden has jumped significantly. I suspect the adoption of the value-added tax deserves a good bit of the blame, but that’s a separate [...]
on December 12, 2012 at 1:09 pm New Research from Finland’s Central Bank Confirms that Government Spending Is Causing Stagnation in Europe « International Liberty

[...] * I reserve the right to defect to the Cayman Islands if the crooks in Washington ever succeed in saddling America with a value-added tax. [...]
on December 17, 2012 at 12:35 pm The Grinch Who Stole Prosperity « International Liberty

[...] of semi-honest leftists who admit that their real goal is taxing the middle class (probably with a value-added tax!), so we can’t say we haven’t been [...]
on December 19, 2012 at 11:40 am Portgual May Become the First of Europe’s Bankrupt Welfare States to Stumble upon Genuine Recovery Formula: Less Spending AND Lower Tax Rates « International Liberty

[...] imposed very significant tax increases on the private sector. Income tax rates have been increased. Value-added taxes have been hiked, and other taxes have climbed as well. These penalties on productive activity [...]
on December 19, 2012 at 10:27 pm Portugal May Become the First of Europe’s Bankrupt Welfare States to Stumble upon a Genuine Recovery Formula: Less Spending AND Lower Tax Rates | lessbull.com

[...] imposed very significant tax increases on the private sector. Income tax rates have been increased. Value-added taxes have been hiked, and other taxes have climbed as well. These penalties on productive activity [...]
on December 28, 2012 at 4:11 am Austérité en Europe ? Quelle austérité ? | Contrepoints

[...] privé à des hausses d'impôts très importantes. Les taux d'imposition ont été augmentés. Les Taxes sur la Valeur Ajoutée ont progressé, et d'autres taxes ont grimpé aussi. Cela pénalise l'activité productive et sape [...]
on January 1, 2013 at 9:20 am What Was the Most Tragic Policy Development of 2012? « International Liberty

[...] government’s decision to double the value-added tax? I’m definitely not a fan of adding a VAT on top of the income tax, but Japan made that mistake years ago. The choice to increase the tax [...]
on January 1, 2013 at 1:00 pm What Was the Most Tragic Policy Development of 2012? | Sago

[...] government’s decision to double the value-added tax? I’m definitely not a fan of adding a VAT on top of the income tax, but Japan made that mistake years ago. The choice to increase the tax [...]
on January 6, 2013 at 11:05 am Question of the Week: “Can America Be Saved?” « International Liberty

[...] yes, I may decide to give up if something really horrible happens, such as adoption of a value-added tax. Giving politicians a big new source of revenue, after all, would cripple any incentive for fiscal [...]
on January 10, 2013 at 8:07 am Maybe we will get true reformer in 2016? « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] 2. One of the most worrisome things about Mitt Romney is that he repeatedly refused to rule out a value-added tax when asked by the editors of the Wall Street Journal. I don’t trust politicians when they say they’ll do the right thing. So when they refuse to even give rhetorical assurances, alarm bells definitely start ringing. My nightmare scenario is that Romney would have been elected, made some half-hearted attempt to restrain spending, and then would have decided that a new source of revenue was needed once Harry Reid said no to any fiscal restraint. And as we saw during the Bush years, Republicans in Congress generally are willing to do the wrong thing when a Republican President makes the request. With Obama in the White House, it is highly unlikely that House Republicans would agree to this dangerous new tax. [...]
on January 10, 2013 at 10:22 am The “National Taxpayer Advocate” at the IRS Is Advocating for the Government, not Taxpayers « International Liberty

[...] with both an income tax and national sales tax. Which is what happened in Europe when governments implemented the value-added tax without repealing income [...]
on January 10, 2013 at 2:09 pm Burden of government spending in the U.K. rose from 36.5 percent of economic output in 2000 up to 48.7 percent of GDP today « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] (see these amusing posters to understand why this was a foolish idea), along with a big hike in the value-added tax (though, to be fair, the corporate rate has been slightly reduced and part of Gordon Brown’s [...]
on January 17, 2013 at 10:33 am Socialism steals our freedom « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] it’s particularly worrisome to see that the author wants a value-added tax, which is a sure-fire way of giving politicians a big pile of money that will be used to expand the [...]
on January 18, 2013 at 7:54 am What was most tragic policy development of 2012 in USA? « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] government’s decision to double the value-added tax? I’m definitely not a fan of adding a VAT on top of the income tax, but Japan made that mistake years ago. The choice to increase the tax [...]
on January 21, 2013 at 8:46 am Open letter to President Obama (Part 224) « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] I am 100 percent confident, for instance, that they intend big tax hikes on the middle class, even though they would piously swear an oath to the contrary. Indeed, I suspect more than 90 percent of them secretly would like a value-added tax. [...]
on January 28, 2013 at 7:53 am Open letter to President Obama (Part 227) « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] it’s particularly worrisome to see that the author wants a value-added tax, which is a sure-fire way of giving politicians a big pile of money that will be used to expand the [...]
on January 29, 2013 at 9:20 am Open letter to President Obama (Part 228) « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] own personal guess is that he would impose a value-added tax if he thought it was politically feasible. Not that I’m showing any great insight. After all, [...]
on January 30, 2013 at 10:04 am The Great Hillsdale College Debate: Flat Tax or Fair Tax? « International Liberty

[...] in my remarks. I pointed out the flat tax and sales tax (and even, at least in theory, the value-added tax) all share very attractive [...]
on February 3, 2013 at 11:04 am The 100th Anniversary of the Income Tax…and the Lesson We Should Learn from that Mistake « International Liberty

[...] That’s about the time, however, that the European governments began to impose value-added taxes. [...]
on February 4, 2013 at 7:04 am An anniversary to not celebrate | The Presteblog

[...] That’s about the time, however, that the European governments began to impose value-added taxes. [...]
on February 4, 2013 at 11:30 pm The 100th Anniversary of the Income Tax…and the Lesson We Should Learn from that Mistake | lessbull.com

[...] That’s about the time, however, that the European governments began to impose value-added taxes. [...]
on February 13, 2013 at 10:53 am The Great TCI Anti-VAT Mutiny of 2013 « International Liberty

[...] fact that we should fight to our last breaths before we let this awful tax get imposed in America. This video has more [...]
on February 14, 2013 at 8:16 am Open letter to President Obama (Part 239) « HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth

[...] That would mean some progress on the spending side and presumably reduce the risk of bad things (like a VAT!) on the revenue [...]
on March 14, 2013 at 12:05 am Open letter to President Obama (Part 266) | The Daily Hatch

[...] (see these amusing posters to understand why this was a foolish idea), along with a big hike in the value-added tax (though, to be fair, the corporate rate has been slightly reduced and part of Gordon Brown’s [...]
on March 23, 2013 at 4:20 pm Targeting Multinationals, the OECD Launches New Scheme to Boost the Tax Burden on Business | International Liberty

[...] I criticized the Paris-based bureaucracy for making the rather remarkable assertion that a value-added tax would boost growth and [...]
on March 24, 2013 at 9:17 am Let’s Enjoy a Victory – even if Temporary – in the Fight against More Bloat at the International Monetary Fund | International Liberty

[...] it wasn’t their intention, IMF bureaucrats even provided very strong evidence showing why the value-added tax is a destructive money machine for big [...]
on March 25, 2013 at 5:34 pm Let’s Enjoy a Victory – even if Temporary – in the Fight against More Bloat at the International Monetary Fund | International L iberty | jamesbbkk

[...] it wasn’t their intention, IMF bureaucrats even provided very strong evidence showing why the value-added tax is adestructive money machine for big [...]
on April 5, 2013 at 8:20 am 9 states do not have state income taxes and they have lowest overall tax burdens | The Daily Hatch

[...] of limited government should never give politicians a new source of revenue, which is why fighting the value-added tax is one of my main priorities (and why advocates of small government should be worried not just [...]
on April 17, 2013 at 3:57 pm There’s Not Much Hope for Tax Reform | International Liberty

[...] of course, you’re a politician and you somehow think adding a value-added tax on top of the current income tax can be considered [...]
on April 18, 2013 at 11:23 am Why Art Laffer’s Unfortunate Endorsement of an State Sales Tax Cartel Is Misguided | International Liberty

[...] sales tax cartel to reduce income tax rates. What’s next, a column saying we should have a value-added tax because the politicians may use the revenue to get rid of the income tax? Yeah, good luck with that [...]
on April 22, 2013 at 7:14 am Open letter to President Obama (Part 302.3) | The Daily Hatch

[...] direction and presumably deserves part of the blame. The top income tax rate is now 45 percent. The value-added tax has jumped to 20 percent. Allister provides more [...]
on April 24, 2013 at 12:27 am Why Art Laffer’s Unfortunate Endorsement of a State Sales Tax Cartel Is Misguided | lessbull.com

[...] state sales tax cartel to reduce income tax rates. What’s next, a column saying we should have a value-added tax because the politicians may use the revenue to get rid of the income tax? Yeah, good luck with that [...]
on May 2, 2013 at 7:26 am If you want the rich to pay a bigger percentage of the nation’s tax revenues then keep their tax rates low!!! | The Daily Hatch

[...] direction and presumably deserves part of the blame. The top income tax rate is now 45 percent. The value-added tax has jumped to 20 percent. Allister provides more [...]
on May 6, 2013 at 9:08 am Huge Value-Added Tax Increases in Europe Show Why Washington Politicians Should Never Be Given a New Source of Tax Revenue | International Liberty

[...] more information, here’s my video that describes the VAT and explains why it’s a bad [...]
on May 6, 2013 at 1:50 pm Huge Value-Added Tax Increases in Europe Show Why Washington Politicians Should Never Be Given a New Source of Tax Revenue « Sago

[...] more information, here’s my video that describes the VAT and explains why it’s a bad [...]
on May 15, 2013 at 1:07 am The sad truth is Obama is wrong about the mean rich people keeping this county down (Cartoon showing that fleecing the rich is not enough) | The Daily Hatch

[…] of semi-honest leftists who admit that their real goal is taxing the middle class (probably with a value-added tax!), so we can’t say we haven’t been […]
on May 17, 2013 at 1:47 am Obama’s method: Higher Taxes on the Rich Are a Precursor to Higher Taxes on the Rest of Us | The Daily Hatch

[…] If Obama and other statists get their way, we’ll see similar statistic in the United States. Higher income tax rates for the rich will mean higher income tax rates for the rest of us. Though I’m even more worried about a value-added tax, which would be a huge burden on ordinary people and a revenue machine for greedy politicians. […]

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International Liberty

Restraining Government in America and Around the World