The Value Added Tax: Too Costly for the United States

Most developed economies rely on a Value Added Tax (VAT) for a substantial share of their tax revenues, so it is natural that the United States would look toward the possibility of a VAT at a time when huge budget deficits are forecast as far out as the forecasts go. While one can debate the merits of a VAT in other countries, the tax is not a good fit for the United States. It taxes a base that has traditionally belonged to state governments, it has a cumbersome administrative structure that would impose large compliance and administrative costs, and it would slow economic growth. If a VAT were introduced in 2010, by 2030 the net effect on tax revenues would be small, because revenues collected by the VAT would be mostly offset by declines in revenues from other tax bases.