{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s18-115/featured_fair-tax-act-of-2017-1493161173.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/s18-115/featured_large_fair-tax-act-of-2017-1493161173.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/s18-115.png"},"introduced_on":"2017-01-03","title_override":"Should Income and Payroll Taxes be Eliminated and Replaced by a National Sales Tax?","summary_override":"

This bill — known as the Fair Tax Act — would reform the tax code by eliminating the income tax on individuals and corporations, employment taxes, plus estate and gift taxes and replacing them with a 23 percent national sales tax starting in 2019. The sales tax rate would be adjusted in subsequent years and some exemptions would exist, such as the for the purchase of used or intangible property, or services purchased for business, export, or investment, and for state government purposes. A rebate from the sales tax called the Family Consumption Allowance would be available for U.S. residents and family members based on family size and poverty guidelines.

States would be responsible for administering, collecting, and remitting the sales tax to the Treasury Dept., as the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) would no longer receive funding for its operations after fiscal year 2021. Tax revenues would go to the following:

General revenue;
Old-age and survivors insurance trust fund;
Disability insurance trust fund;
Hospital insurance trust fund;
Federal supplementary medical insurance trust fund.

This national sales tax would be terminated if the Sixteenth Amendment to the Constitution (which authorizes an income tax) isn’t repealed within seven years of this bill’s enactment.

","official_title":"A bill to promote freedom, fairness, and economic opportunity by repealing the income tax and other taxes, abolishing the Internal Revenue Service, and enacting a national sales tax to be administered primarily by the States.","short_title":"Fair Tax Act of 2017","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Fair Tax Act of 2017\n\nThis bill is a tax reform proposal that imposes a national sales tax on the use or consumption in the United States of taxable property or services in lieu of the current income and corporate income tax, employment and self-employment taxes, and estate and gift taxes. The rate of the sales tax will be 23% in 2019, with adjustments to the rate in subsequent years. There are exemptions from the tax for used and intangible property, for property or services purchased for business, export, or investment purposes, and for state government functions.\n\nUnder the bill, family members who are lawful U.S. residents receive a monthly sales tax rebate (Family Consumption Allowance) based upon criteria related to family size and poverty guidelines.\n\nThe states have the responsibility for administering, collecting, and remitting the sales tax to the Treasury.\n\nTax revenues are to be allocated among: (1) the general revenue, (2) the old-age and survivors insurance trust fund, (3)...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"The American public; states; the Treasury Dept.; and the federal government.","argument_for":"Our current tax system is overly complex between income, payroll, and other taxes. Eliminating those and replacing them with a national sales tax would be much simpler and fairer.","argument_against":"Eliminating the income tax would make it harder to compel the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share. 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jweland

Should Income and Payroll Taxes be Eliminated and Replaced by a National Sales Tax?