FairTax :: FAQs



	What is the FairTax? Will the FairTax affect my Social Security or Medicare benefits in any way? How much money will I receive each month in my prebate check? Isn’t it a big deal to tax services for the first time? It has never been done before. Why do some people say the rate is 30 percent instead of 23 percent? Does the FairTax repeal the 16th Amendment? Does the FairTax affect all of those taxes on my phone bill? The 23% tax rate seems too high. I just did my taxes, and after all of my deductions and exemptions, I only paid 14% of my income in taxes. Why is the FairTax a good deal for me? How can we be sure that the costs associated with the embedded taxes will disappear? How are state tax systems affected, and can states adequately collect a federal sales tax?

FairTax: State by State Action

Find out what your state is doing to promote the FairTax:




	Below you will find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions regarding the FairTax. If you don't find answers to your questions in the FAQ portion of the page, please search the Q&A database at the bottom of the page for even more answers. This page is a collaborative effort with citizens across the country. While each question and answer has been approved by Congressional staff, most of these questions and answers have actually been written by others--citizens like yourself who have an interest in making sure that the FairTax is fully explained to--and fully understood by--the American people. If you have a question that isn't answered here or in the Q&A database, please send it in through the "Contact Us" link. If you have an answer to a question that you often hear, or a better answer to a question that you see below, please send it in through the "Contact Us" link. The power of any idea in this country lies in the free exchange of information--pro and con--about it. Thank you for visiting this page both seeking answers and providing them.




	Will the FairTax affect my Social Security or Medicare benefits in any way? How much money will I receive each month in my prebate check? Why do some people say the rate is 30 percent instead of 23 percent? How much do Americans pay each year in Federal income tax compliance costs? Once the FairTax is passed and becomes law, what protection is there against a reinstitution of the income tax at a later date? Does the FairTax repeal the 16th Amendment? Is it safe to base American tax revenue on the sales tax? Isn’t consumption volatile? Isn’t it a big deal to tax services for the first time? It has never been done before. Has anything like the FairTax ever been tried before? Won’t people simply avoid the tax by trading and bartering rather than purchasing? Why is the FairTax helpful for capital formation in this country? Today, employers pay 7.65 percent of their payroll to the Federal government in a payroll tax. Do you expect that when the FairTax eliminates this tax that the employers will reduce their prices by this amount or increase wages by this amount? Does the FairTax affect all of those taxes on my phone bill? The 23% tax rate seems too high. I just did my taxes, and after all of my deductions and exemptions, I only paid 14% of my income in taxes. Why is the FairTax a good deal for me? How can we be sure that the costs associated with the embedded taxes will disappear? Right now I can deduct business lunches and other business expenses. I'm still going to have to take clients to lunch, but now I'll have to bear the entire cost. Does the FairTax have an answer to this problem? How will the FairTax affect charitable giving? How are state tax systems affected, and can states adequately collect a federal sales tax? What is FairTax.org? What is the FairTax?


		The GAO (Congress's auditing branch) found that all of the exemptions, exclusions, and special favors in the current tax code drain federal receipts by $728 billion each year. That is almost as much as the nation spends on Medicare and Social Security combined and 60% more than the nation spends on national defense. The FairTax eliminates all deductions, credits, and carve-outs to ensure that everyone pays his or her fair share.