A Stitch in Haste

Mike Huckabee (R-Jesusland), leading huckster of the "FairTax" proposal, during his Super Tuesday speech:

I really do look forward to nailing the "going out of business" sign on the front door of the IRS.

To which I replied at another blog:

If the "FairTax" would abolish the IRS, then who is going to calculate and distribute its "prebate" provision?

Since the "FairTax" exempts some nebulous entity called "tuition," who other than the IRS is going to promulgate rules and regulations deciding what is and is not "tuition"?

Since the "FairTax" considers mortgage interest above the risk-free rate to be a "service" subject to the tax, who other than the IRS is going to determine exactly what that risk-free rate is over what periods and how it is to be applied?

Since the "FairTax" applies to sales of new homes but not to existing homes, who other than the IRS is going to set the rules for deciding what does and does constitute "new" or "existing"?

I could go on, but you get the idea.

They lie about their proposal being a 23% tax and not 30%. They lie about how the reality-based rate would have to be at least 44% and possibly as high as 82%. And they lie about abolishing the IRS.

It's quite simple really: Keep tax rates low for all, and "fairness" will inevitably follow.