The FairTax Book [Hardcover]

Neal Boortz (Author), John Linder (Author)

Book Description

Release date: August 2, 2005 | ISBN-10: 0060875410 | ISBN-13: 978-0060875411

Wouldn't you love to abolish the IRS . . . Keep all the money in your paycheck . . . Pay taxes on what you spend, not what you earn . . . And eliminate all the fraud, hassle, and waste of our current system?

Then the FairTax is for you. In the face of the outlandish American tax burden, talk-radio firebrand Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder are leading the charge to phase out our current, unfair system and enact the FairTax Plan -- replacing the federal income tax and withholding system with a simple 23 percent retail sales tax. This dramatic revision of the current system, which would eliminate the reviled IRS, has already caught fire in the American heartland, with more than 600,000 taxpayers signing on in support of the plan.

As Boortz and Linder reveal in this first book on the FairTax, this radical but eminently sensible plan would end the annual national nightmare of filing income tax returns, while at the same time enlarging the federal tax base by collecting sales tax from every retail consumer in the country. The FairTax, they argue, would transform the fearsome bureaucracy of the IRS into a more transparent, accountable -- and equitable -- tax collection system. Endorsed by scores of leading economists -- and supported by a huge and growing grassroots movement -- the Fair Tax Plan could revolutionize the way America pays for itself.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

The host of radio's The Neal Boortz Show, syndicated in nearly two hundred national markets, Neal Boortz is the author (with Congressman John Linder) of the New York Times bestsellers The FairTax Book and FairTax: The Truth, and author of The Terrible Truth About Liberals. He has been nominated twice for the National Association of Broadcasters' Marconi Award and divides his time between Atlanta, Georgia, and Naples, Florida.

Congressman John Linder (R-Ga) is a longtime champion of tax reform and the primary sponsor of the FairTax Act. He divides his time between Duluth, Georgia, and Washington, D.C.

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 208 pages
• Publisher: William Morrow (August 2, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060875410
• ISBN-13: 978-0060875411
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1,604 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #432,684 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

810 of 903 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Beware of false reviews August 2, 2005

By JD

Format:Hardcover

It is obvious that Wealthy American and Rational Georgian did not actually read this book before the entered their review.

After reading this book, I am amazed at how simple the idea really is. Do away with payroll taxes and the price of the item you are buying will drop. The idea of embedded taxes that we are paying under the current system never even came to mind before. I, as the end user, have to pay the payroll tax cost of every vender that touches that item. That cost is a pretty significant part of the total cost of the product. Harvard studies are showing 21% and higher depending on the item.

On top of getting rid of the embedded tax, I end up getting more in my paycheck and I get a pre-bate for the cost of living. Where is the negative? I started to some research on line to find out and have yet to find any real negative. I found plenty of false propaganda from those that have not fully reviewed the plan, but no substantiated negative.

The book itself is well written and easy to understand. My hats off to both John Linder and Neal Boortz to taking a pretty complex subject and making it so easy to understand.

I would recommend this book to anyone that is interested in the tax code and ideas on how we can change it.

93 of 101 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Step 1: Read Book. Step 2: Review Book August 3, 2005

By Mark Hanna

Format:Hardcover

It is truly amazing how people critize this book without having any knowledge of the subject. They see the words "Neal Boortz", "Fair Tax" and immediately assume that this is some soak-the-poor, evil rich manipulation scheme.

READ THE BOOK FIRST! Every argument raised by critics on this site has been addressed, some from many different angles. One concept which MUST be understood and is clearly explained in the book: embedded taxes. For the critic "BushHater" (what a surprise), the concept if embedded taxes and how it affects the price of products is completely lost.

Maybe this example will help you, BushHater...let's say you grow peaches. A new President is elected who hates peaches and convinces congress to pass a 20% tax on all income derived from the production and sale of peaches. What do you think you would do, BH? Would you just say, "Thanks, government! Please take more of my money!" No...you would RAISE THE PRICE OF PEACHES to help cover the new tax burden with which you were saddled. You would also pay a tax advisor to find a way around paying that 20% increase in taxes -- more money out of your pocket. Do you get it yet? That is happening RIGHT NOW -- to the tune of 22% of what you purchase. Take away the income tax and that 22% is NOT NEEDED. And if you think the evil corporations will just pocket that extra money you know nothing about capitalism and competitive markets. Add back in the 23% sales tax and it is a wash. Oh, except that YOU get to keep ALL of your check, you get a monthly prebate check to cover the sales tax on essential products, you are not taxed on what you save, you do not pay SS or medicare taxes, etc.

It is a perfect system? No, there is no perfect tax system.... But it is the best out there, it is VERY fair, and is sure beats the current system. Read the book. Understand the concept. See how concerns are addressed. Then, and only then, can you honestly review the topic. Read more ›

136 of 151 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Response to previously listed objections August 3, 2005

By Chief Longshanks

Format:Hardcover

The eight objections listed in a review by Edgar C Sparks can be easily shot down, one at a time, and with very little difficulty (logical thinking and comprehension of sarcasm is required to understand any of the following:)

1. Opens us up to electronic money and total tracking of our monetary positions.

What exactly is "electronic money"? Is "electronic money" worth the same as paper money? If it is, than I don't really give a damn. Oh, and you don't what the government tracking monetary positions (nor do I). So I guess you'd rather just keep on filling out those income tax returns, thereby helping the government do just that. Under the fair tax there is no reporting of income, accumulated wealth or assets, so what exactly are you talking about?

2. Puts us all, everyone, on the Welfare roles.

Ok, I assume you are speaking of the refund on taxes paid for the basic necessities of life. Do you express feelings of dissatification and complain bitterly everytime you receive an income tax refund? I guess now it is "welfare" for the government you give us back some of our own money. This is, by the way, a much simpler way of relieving the tax burden on basic necessities, for those who can afford it or not (thereby making it fair), than exempting specific items making way for corruption of the tax code by special interest groups (which is what we have now). So the next time the federal government sends you a "welfare check" after you pay too much income tax, go ahead and send it back.

3. Quotes the wrong tax rate. It is 30%, not 23% of purchases.

Do you quote your income taxes using the same formula? If so then someone in a 15% tax braket is actually paying 20%.... I know you people like to quote certain taxes inclusively and others exclusively to suit your own purposes, but in the interests of fairness we should use the same formula. The inclusive rate is always less than if quoted exclusively. And how conveniently you forget about the imbedded taxes you are already paying. Man, I just realized I'm paying 8.2% FICA tax. Blast!

4. Opens us up to a Sales Tax ID so that the rich can be taxed more than the poor.

This goes against the entire plan. It would require a change in the law to mandate the retailer to charge certain people more or less tax at the checkout based on this "Sales Tax ID". And as we all know the rich are not taxed at any higher of a rate under our current system, right? So we replace FINs with SIDs (whoops, already taken), may we throw our representatives to the fire if THAT ever comes to pass (nevertheless it would be no worse than what we have now.)

5. The tax rate can be easily raised at any time by the Congress.

And the income tax can't be? Oh, it can, but it's just hidden amoungst tens of thousands of pages of tax code, and certain provisions only affect certain people, and since tax laws change every year no one notices anyway. But if the whole rate for everyone in the nation moves, people will notice, and there had better be a damn good reason for it.

6. There is no way to limit the maximum tax rate. The tax rate can be increased to 100% and the Welfare rate increased so that all people receive the same income.

And if the rate is 100% how can this lead to an redistributed equal income? Yes this could happen if the INCOME tax rate was 100%, but so the hell what if the SALES tax is 100%. Money not spent at the retail level would not be taxed. Such a tax would destroy retail sales, and create an immense underground black market. An politicians would be extremely hard pressed to give everyone an equal income when revenue plummets. (By the way, who would work if you received the same income no matter what you did?) You do understand the difference between an INCOME TAX and a SALES TAX, don't you? It appears not.

7. It is nothing more than a way-stop on the way to a totally Communistic society.

No, actually the exact opposite. Not adopting this and keeping the income tax is what is doing exactly what you fear. If fact your concerns from objection #6 are valid but completely misplaced. If you are truly concerned about objections #6 & 7, then you should be demanding the Congress institute this tax reform. This is a voluntary tax, as opposed to the money just being seized without a conscious choice by you. That is far from Communist.

8. It will lead to wage confiscation.

Did you even READ the book? What a truly asinine statement. The fair tax has nothing whatsoever to do with wages & income. It replaces all income, estate, Social Security and Medicare taxes. You keep 100% of your paycheck (aside from any State taxes), and this is "wage confiscation". What in the blue f#$% have you been smoking? Wage confiscation is what we have right now, sir. Wake up! You've listed three objection to the fair tax, that are far more applicable to the income tax.

As put by many here, "If you don't like it you clearly don't understand it". But more accurately, if you don't like it, you are either willfully ignorant, or incredibly stupid. Read more ›

73 of 80 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A closed mind can't grasp the concepts, is yours open? August 3, 2005

By David E. Weiss

Format:Hardcover

I am amazed at the ignorance of some reviewers. Some intentionally lie (or misstate the truth through ignorance), and some ask questions that are easily answered by anyone who has READ the book.

Therefore, I believe that most of the negative responses come from knee-jerk persons who are merely being negative out of their partisan love of taxation. I am not calling them "Liberals", since that isn't quite encompassing enough for all of their philosophies. After all, you can be "liberal" and not favor "progressive taxation". Taxation has been taught and promoted as a necessity for so long, that I believe some people mistakingly believe it has always been a part of this country. Few know that it was a temporary measure, and started at just 1%. The need for it in today's world is muddy at best - the "need" gets created every year, but somehow whatever is received is never enough.

What would the government do without the IRS? Suppose the Supreme Court found some new argument to eliminate the IRS. What would the Federal Government do for income? I bet they'd implement something like the Fair Tax Plan. After all, they will still want to spend as much money as possible, to buy as many votes as possible.

I know of many people of sound mind who believe that the IRS "is just too big" to ever be controlled or eliminated. This is logic that I just can't grasp. If it can be created, it can be destroyed. If this country is to survive, it needs to grow. The IRS isn't a "growing" strategy. It isn't helping people grow, it's punishing people. It is the cloud that blocks the sun, not the water that nourishes the plant....

I know that supporters of high taxation (though many of its supporters pay very little or no taxes personally) don't want to see their support system modified, but they're looking at the short picture. If prices don't change, they won't be affected, but the benefits to them from increased economic productivity will have long-lasting effects. They are looking at the cost of their rent this month, and not their ability to buy a home next year. This short-sighted, partisan idiocy, is exactly what the politicians count on. Your ignorance allows them to fleece you each year out of your future. The check you get each year is nothing compared the economic gains you could receive in a free-market economy not hampered by high taxation. The job you have today could be an amazing career down the road.

But if you can't open your mind, you will never see the bigger picture, or what is possible in an alternative future.

This book is about what we can do if we stop punishing success, and start rewarding it. If you slam this book, then you don't expect success in your own life. Or, you're too lazy to work on it.

I used to be the lazy type, always eager to excuse my failures. I understand the way the people think who slam this book - I used to be one of you. But then I realized that what I was doing wasn't working. Success doesn't come from envy of the rich - it comes from the success of hard work.

The Fair Tax Plan isn't easy - and nothing good ever is. It will be tough to grasp for many, but that doesn't mean it isn't important. Physics is tough to grasp, but I wouldn't want Gravity to stop working, just because so few people understand it.

If you really want to understand this plan, then read the book. Don't lie about it, don't create your impression before you read it. Just read it. And think to yourself what could happen if you started making 40% more each paycheck. Heck, even 20% more!

What would you do with more money? Give it to the government, or save it for your family? Or, even get a family! :-) Read more ›