Value-Added Tax (VAT)
Candlefocus EditorVAT is attractive to governments because it can capture tax revenues from goods and services that are not currently being taxed with traditional forms of taxation such as income and corporation taxes. This means that, in contrast to traditional forms of tax, the wealthy are not punished for their wealth. Many industrialized countries have adopted VATs in one form or another, though the U.S. has yet to adopt this form of taxation.
Much of the debate concerning value-added taxes revolves around their economic effects. Proponents of the tax emphasize its potential to increase government revenues without impacting people of high wealth. Furthermore, the tax operates on a principle of revenue neutrality, meaning that there should be no overall economic impact of the tax over long time frames. Critics, however, disagree with this view, suggesting that in actuality, a VAT places an undue economic burden on lower-income taxpayers, as they are the ones paying the taxes when the goods and services they buy are taxed. Moreover, VAT can create major compliance challenges for businesses, meaning that certain products can be taxed inappropriately from the outset.
Overall, value-added taxes remain a potentially attractive means for governments to raise revenue. Although this form of taxation has been adopted by many industrialized countries, it has yet to be adopted by the United States. Any future considerations of it must factor in both its potential to increase government revenues and its potential to place an undue economic burden on lower-income taxpayers. Taking these factors into account, a well-crafted value-added tax might be just the thing to increase government revenues without pun any one particular group of people.