Here is the slideshow presentation I gave to a group in San Diego yesterday.  The event was called “Manufacturing in the Golden State.”  It describes the math about how a consumption tax could reduce the domestic tax burden, include imports in our tax base, narrow the trade deficit, increase U.S….

The debate over potential U.S. consumption taxes is still immature.  Its a high vs. low tax debate.  Its a regressive vs. progressive debate.  Those are important points, but have long been resolved in the 150+ other countries that include a VAT in their tax mix.  The proper use of a…

Tax reform is discussed in terms of progressivity, gross revenue, compliance and administrative costs.  All key factors. But how does the U.S. tax system impact our trade deficit?  The answer is “quite a lot”.  And not in the ways you’ll hear from the talking heads. The effective tax rate (different…

Reposted from the Daily Media Report of the American Iron and Steel Institute ******** US To Issue AD And CV Duties On China, Vietnam Wind Towers January 22, 2013 | Daily Media Report (article from Steel Business Briefing) The US Department of Commerce (DOC) will issue antidumping and countervailing duty…

I was working on an updated  map of nations that use a Value Added Tax (VAT) for the Coalition for a Prosperous America and thought I’d share it. Nations in RED have a VAT. Nations in BLUE don’t. Basically, the VAT is a national sales tax on products sold, at various levels…

Reposted from The Plain Dealer ****** Getting tough on China trade could boost U.S. manufacturing, panelists say Robert Shoenberger | September 25, 2012 | Plain Dealer CLEVELAND, Ohio — Changes to the federal tax system and pushing for tough trade sanctions on China could boost manufacturing in the United States,…

Tax Cut by Former U.S. Senator Ernest F. Hollings Joe Scarborough constantly complains on Morning Joe: “The people hate big government.”   Grover Norquist wants to bring the government down to size so it can be “drowned in a bathtub.”  The Tea Party takes the text “…that all men are endowed…

The following video on the Value Added Tax was produced by Steve Abramson:  

Fighting in Trade War by Former U.S. Senator Ernest F. Hollings Our founding fathers were politicians who believed in government.   They didn’t have economists hovering over them to make sure they created growth for the economy i.e. “don’t cut spending; don’t increase taxes”.  Economists act like globalization is a recent…

The biggest trade problem we have may be the foreign VAT system.  Most countries tax our exports through value added taxes (VAT) averaging 17%, which is separate from tariffs.  They also subsidize their exports to us through VAT rebates.  Here is a CPA primer on the VAT issue. China is…