Posted: Oct 04, 2005 By: Scott C. Tribolet

Subject: True Tax Reform

Comment: Subject: The FairTax: True Tax Reform

Comment: Dear Chairman and Panel members,

These are exciting times in which we live. It is not often that the leaders of our country have the vision and fortitude to take on such pressing issues, which affect so many in our country. Often the talk of reform in this country is drowned out by the rhetoric of tired policies that have a strangle-hold on our society. But, right now, there is a climate in which it is possible to truly change the landscape with fresh, new ideas that can transform this slowly decaying environment.
One of these reforms is the Fair Tax proposal. As a taxpayer, whose wife is a CPA and mother-in-law that owns her own company, I see firsthand the hardships and pain that the current tax code burdens our citizens with. The time and costs of the current system are overwhelming and destructive. The current systems policies are stifling to business and innovation. It is time to change!
These past few months, I have been listening to the options being proposed for tax code reform and have become a supporter of the Fair Tax Plan. Just some of the benefits of the Fair Tax Plan are as follows:

Eliminating payroll taxes will provide transparency to the tax system and be easily understood.

It will eliminate the burden of tax filing entirely which today costs a lot of time, money, and stress.

The Fair Tax will be progressive in the sense that the "prebate" given to individuals makes up for the sales tax that low-income families will pay at the cash register.

The Fair Tax will encourage savings which will help families and the economy in the long-term.

Finally, the Fair Tax will help U.S. manufacturers and service providers be on a level playing field with imports. It will accomplish this by eliminating U.S. corporate and payroll taxes that U.S. producers must build in to the cost of goods/services. It will then apply tax collection at the retail sales level to domestic and imported goods equally.

Other consumption or sales tax proposals do not go far enough. The Fair Tax Plan has been well researched and includes the repeal of the 16th amendment, vital to controlling the ability of government to manipulate the tax code. I believe other sales tax proposals have compelling arguments, but none as compelling as the Fair Tax proposal (HR 25/S 25). Reforming the current code with mild steps like changing the top tax rate will do very little to improve things. These changes may be easier to do politically but do not accomplish any real change in the system. Keeping the current progressive code largely intact will simply lead to more years of tinkering and frustration.

This is the time to act boldly to reform the tax system by replacing it with the Fair Tax. I know the Fair Tax has been well received by my family and friends here in Michigan, as many of them have purchased the Fair Tax book, visited the websites and contacted numerous state and local representatives. This is important… and replacing the system IS possible!

Sincerely,
Scott C. Tribolet
Byron Center, MI