Taxation

Should More People Pay Taxes?

by Laurence M. Vance October 9, 2012

Should people pay more taxes or should more people pay taxes? Liberals and Democrats usually opt for the former while conservatives and Republicans generally prefer the latter. Libertarians not only don’t take sides, they reject both propositions. While campaigning for president, on September 12, 2008, in Dover, New Hampshire, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois said in a speech, And I can ...

Romney, Taxes, and Dependence on Government

by Sheldon Richman September 20, 2012

Mitt Romney isn’t just out of touch; he’s also out of sync with the movement to shrink government. In an interview clarifying his now-infamous speech to donors, captured on clandestine video, Romney said, “I think people would like to be paying taxes.” Come again? He also said, “The good news is if you are doing well enough financially that you ...

Tax-Credit Hypocrisy

by Laurence M. Vance March 6, 2012

There are always rallies, marches, and demonstrations taking place in the nation’s capital, but a recent event organized by the American Mustache Institute was certainly one of the most unusual to ever take place. Members of the American Mustache Institute (AMI), a tongue-in-cheek advocacy group with the mission of “protecting the rights of, and fighting discrimination against, mustached ...

Taxing the Rich

by Laurence M. Vance October 26, 2011

President Obama’s American Jobs Act of 2011 (S.1660) recently went down to defeat in the Senate. Two Democrats joined with all forty-six voting Republicans (Sen. Tom Coburn did not vote) to kill the $447 billion plan. The most egregious part of this bill was that it “amends the Internal Revenue Code to impose on individual taxpayers in taxable years ...

O’er the Land of the 39 Percent Free

by Fergus Hodgson August 18, 2011

I hope you enjoyed last weekend, because Friday didn’t mark just the end of your working week; it also marked the annual Cost of Government Day. According to Americans for Tax Reform, each U.S. resident works 224 days to pay for the cost of government, including spending and regulatory compliance, up 27 days from just three years ...

Amazon Taxes Rely on Economic Fallacy

by Fergus Hodgson July 7, 2011

The “Amazon” tax neither generates revenue nor creates a level playing field. It does eliminate profitable relationships and drive companies out-of-state, but that hasn’t stopped elected officials from plowing ahead obstinately. Concerned that people can avoid sales taxes by shopping online, seven states have passed legislation to place out-of-state retailers within their jurisdiction. Fourteen more have ...

Tax Credits Are Not Subsidies

by Laurence M. Vance June 21, 2011

Do tax credits — as well as tax deductions, tax loopholes, tax shelters, and tax exemptions — constitute subsidies? Many Republicans and conservatives think so. Senate Republicans are divided over a proposal to eliminate the Volumetric Ethanol Excise Tax Credit. An amendment to that end (S.Amdt.436) by Senator Tom Coburn (R-OK) to the Economic Development Revitalization Act of ...

Give Me Your Money and Your Conscience

by Wendy McElroy April 15, 2011

Planned Parenthood almost closed down the U.S. government last week. A stalemate over the tax-funding of the abortion-provider almost prevented a budget deal needed to keep federal doors open. Ultimately, the Republicans tabled their demand to defund Planned Parenthood; only then did the stopgap budget move forward. That is how powerful the issue of abortion and taxes ...

Is GE Paying Its Fair Share?

by Laurence M. Vance April 14, 2011

Chances are you have used a GE appliance, turned on a GE light bulb, flown on a plane powered by a GE aircraft engine, seen a GE locomotive or wind turbine, taken out a loan from GE Capital (its lending division), or watched a program on NBC (partly owned by GE). General Electric Company (GE) is a multinational conglomerate corporation ...

The Jacob Hornberger Show: The Income Tax Root of Evil

by Jacob G. Hornberger January 28, 2011

The Jacob Hornberger Show broadcasts live Saturday nights at 7pm EST. Visit FFF's Ustream Channel to watch the show live. //

Cut the Tax Cuts

by Laurence M. Vance December 15, 2010

For several years now we have been told that the Bush tax cuts will be expiring at the end of 2010. That time is now here — unless Democrats and Republicans in Congress can reach an agreement to extend them. The Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) and the Jobs and Growth Tax Relief Reconciliation Act ...

A Libertarian View of the Estate Tax

by Laurence M. Vance December 6, 2010

The year 2010 is a good year to die. If you plan on dying anytime soon, then try to do so by the end of the year. Just ask the families of George Steinbrenner, Dan Duncan, Mary Janet Cargill, John Kluge, and Walter Shorenstein — all billionaires who died this year. Steinbrenner was the owner of the New York Yankees. Duncan ...