National Sales Tax to Replace Income Tax

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Lawrence of Arabia
? i did a report on this. they dont compete, because there is too much brand name differentiation between products, and very few people decide on price only.

No one cares about brand name recognition. All people care about is convenience. They go to the closest easiest store. Some people go to a cheaper one about a block away maybe, but only if they can save atleast $5 or so. Most people don't even care about saving 5 bucks.

[Kuciwalker]

The sin tax is far more voluntary than the income tax - under no moral theory are you coerced to buy things covered by the sin tax.

[Ramo]

By the same criteria, you're not "coerced" into having a taxable income either.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Ramo
Flippity-flop. No doubt they realized how practically and politically stupid the idea was after it was floated.

They like to test the waters a lot on stuff like this that they hope to one day implement. It's not the first time, and it won't be the last.

Regresive taxation is a conservatives wet dream.

[Kuciwalker]

I said under no moral theory are you. There are some that hold that you are coerced into having a taxable income (as it is necessary to survive).

xpost!

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Caligastia
It might not happen instantly, but surely a competitive market will end up reducing prices. If costs decrease there will be more room for competitive pricing.

That only applies to perfectly competitive markets. Most companies are attempting to convert markets into monopolistic competitive markets with brands and advertising (hi Ming ).

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
The sin tax is far more voluntary than the income tax - under no moral theory are you coerced to buy things covered by the sin tax.

You're not coerced into buying something. You're coerced into paying the tax. If they really didn't want people to consume the goods they would make the tax much higher. With a moderate tax they can collect.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Kidicious
No one cares about brand name recognition. All people care about is convenience. They go to the closest easiest store. Some people go to a cheaper one about a block away maybe, but only if they can save atleast $5 or so. Most people don't even care about saving 5 bucks.

That's not true. It depends on your income and the goods you want to buy.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker
I said under no moral theory are you.

Why should the goods you prefer be taxed and not the goods that I prefer?

[Ramo]

I said under no moral theory are you. There are some that hold that you are coerced into having a taxable income (as it is necessary to survive).

It's not "necessary to survive" to have a taxable income, just as it's not "necessary to survive" to have to have alcoholic beverages. Both things are nice to have, but not absolutely vital.

As for the no moral theory business, that's nonsense. You can't say anything about every moral theory. Moral theories can be arbitrarily constructed.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Urban Ranger


That's not true. It depends on your income and the goods you want to buy.

We're talking about gas. You can maybe save $5 by filling up at a cheaper station, but most people won't drive very far to do it.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Kidicious
You're not coerced into buying something. You're coerced into paying the tax.

The point being that a tax on necessary items is more coercive because at least some moral theories hold that one is coerced into buying necessities.

[Kidlicious]

Originally posted by Kuciwalker

Originally posted by Kidicious
You're not coerced into buying something. You're coerced into paying the tax.

The point being that a tax on necessary items is more coercive because at least some moral theories hold that one is coerced into buying necessities.

:shakes head:

Tax is coercive. Unless it is designed not to collect. That's all.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Kidicious
We're talking about gas. You can maybe save $5 by filling up at a cheaper station, but most people won't drive very far to do it.

Even if you talk about petrol, I know people who only go to the station of particular Big Oil chains.

[Kuciwalker]

Originally posted by Kidicious
:shakes head:

Tax is coercive. Unless it is designed not to collect. That's all.

Some tax is more coercive than other tax.

Obviously, we have to have tax. Duh.

So what's the point of complaining?