by Dan Mitchell | Dec 6, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Taxation, VAT
It’s no secret that I dislike the value-added tax. But this isn’t because of its design. The VAT, after all, would be (presumably) a single-rate, consumption-based system, just like the flat tax and national sales tax. And that’s a much less destructive way of raising...
by Dan Mitchell | Oct 15, 2013 | Blogs, Tax Competition, Taxation, VAT
I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Bill Clinton. In part, that’s because economic freedom increased and the burden of government spending was reduced during his time in office. Partisans can argue whether Clinton actually deserves the credit for these good...
by Dan Mitchell | Oct 5, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Taxation, VAT
If you have any long-term Japanese investments, sell them soon. In part, that’s because the Japanese Prime Minister announced another Keynesian spending binge earlier this year – even though several so-called stimulus plans in Japan have flopped over the past two...
by Dan Mitchell | May 7, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Europe, Government Spending, Taxation, VAT
The most important, powerful, and relevant argument against the value-added tax in the short run is that we can balance the budget in just five years by capping spending so it grows at the rate of inflation, a very modest level of fiscal restraint. The most important,...
by Dan Mitchell | Feb 13, 2013 | Big Government, Blogs, Government Spending, Taxation, VAT
The value-added tax is a pernicious levy. It’s basically a hidden form of national sales tax, imposed every time a transaction occurs at any stage of the production process. But what irks me about the VAT is not its design (indeed, it shares some key characteristics...
