"A national sales tax would stand alone until the first economic crisis, then when sales fell off drastically and the treasury started drying up, congress would be right back adding on more taxes. The same event under a sliding flat tax on income wouldn't suffer near as much because salaries and employment would be aided by the private sectors capital. While this would mean some private capital going to federal coffers, it doesn't stop there, but continues its cycle and returns to private capital.
Whats really unfair about our tax isn't as much the income tax as it is the deductions and the hundreds of semi hidden specific tax's lying in wait.
Get rid of the specific taxes, create a sliding flat income tax so simple anyone can figure it and you cut the IRS to a skeleton crew, save tax payers a fortune by eliminating part time tax preparers which eliminates their unemployment payments.
It ain't rocket science if you think outside the box, and realize that there will continue to be a federal budget to meet."--HB

your tax punishes people for doing something they should be doing for society's benefit

I don't worry about the government having to do with less, that's what liberals like you worry about, first financial crisis and the government has to tighten its belt, boy that would be a damn shame wouldn't it.