Thread: All things being equal would you vote for a VAT?

Originally Posted by richmondesi

Former tax accountant speaking here (in case anyone cares )

People have to realize that this government uses the tax code to encourage/discourage behavior almost as much to raise revenue for the treasury. The reason that you get a child tax credit is because they want us to continue to procreate instead of becoming a country with a decreasing population. The reason that debt is rewarded (tax deductible) uncapped and savings are limited (depending on your method) is because you "leverage" yourself and the economy when taking on debt. What does a lever do? It allows you to do things that you were not able to do (think of lifting a large boulder by handed verses a nicely setup lever mechanism). The reason there are social programs is that they want to prevent those in poverty from becoming so destitute that they will resort to uprisings.

The tax code is not about fair. It never has been and probably never will be. We will all be better off when fair is removed from the tax discussion. It's a wonderful thought, and it would be the ideal, but it will never be the reality. IMO

Well said.