• The Fair Tax Act, introduced by Representative Earl “Buddy” Carter (R-GA), would replace existing income, payroll, and estate/gift taxes with a flat national sales tax of 30%.
• The bill claims to “promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity” but would disproportionately affect those with less money to spend.
• The original Republican Party invented the U.S. income tax and created the precursor to the IRS to collect it, believing that taxes should be “proportionate to [a person’s] ability to pay.”
• The Fair Tax Act is a rejection of the original Republican Party’s principles and would dismantle the federal system that gives Americans “a sense of personal responsibility in the safety and stability of the nation.”
• The bill also provides an option for “qualified” families to get a rebate, but each member of the household must be registered annually with the state and certify that they are all legal residents of the U.S. and not incarcerated.
Published January 19, 2023
Visit Letters from an American to read Heather Cox Richardson’s original post January 18, 2023
