ABOUT THE FAIRTAX

About Americans For Fair Taxation (FairTax.org):

Americans For Fair Taxation was formed in 1995 as a 501 (c)(4) nonprofit, nonpartisan, grassroots organization solely dedicated to replacing the current tax system. It began as a research organization with the initial goal of finding out what the American people wanted in a tax system, what they felt was the best way for the government to collect revenue, and how taxation could be achieved in a way that most benefited the economy and the taxpayers. Many diverse groups of Americans participated in the extensive polling and focus group studies, and then a nonpartisan team of economists was commissioned to develop the FairTax plan. The organization today has hundreds of thousands of members and volunteers nationwide.  Its plan supports sound economic research, education of citizens and community leaders, and grassroots mobilization efforts.

The FairTax.org Board of Directors is comprised of business leaders who are visionary in their own right. For over ten years, they have committed their time, energy, and financial support to make the FairTax happen. Each of them provides here a view into their personal motivation.

	Leo E. Linbeck, Jr. Founder, Chairman The tax system is the most fundamental interface of the citizen with his government. And in America, uniquely, the citizen is sovereign. The state only has those powers that are expressly delegated to it by the citizen. And yet the citizen, in the most fundamental interaction with government, in the tax system, does not understand it. That is not healthy. We did not want to leave for our children and grandchildren a society that was shackled with that kind of dysfunctional system such that it put in jeopardy the whole fabric of the American society and our economy. And that’s what motivated us to get involved.
	Robert C. McNair Founder, Finance Chairman As a young man starting out in business with no capital, I learned firsthand how difficult it is to earn enough money to properly capitalize a business. I also learned that being undercapitalized was a competitive disadvantage in the business world. I would love to help make capital accumulation easier for young entrepreneurs. The enactment of the FairTax would accomplish that goal. The cost of capital will be reduced under the FairTax and young people, by choice, may reduce their consumption and have more after-tax dollars to invest in their businesses. The FairTax gives people without capital a fair chance to accumulate capital and be competitive in the business world.
	Andrew J. Clark, III Director The FairTax appeals to me primarily because it is fair. The consumption tax taxes most those who consume the most and affords American goods and services the opportunity to compete equally in the local, national, and international markets without the tax burden that currently weighs upon our American made products.
	Howard W. Horne, Sr. Director The FairTax makes so much common sense. The key for me is that it’s fair to everybody. We each prepare our own federal income tax returns, and no one but us knows if we’re paying more taxes or less compared to last year. If the FairTax comes into being, and it doesn’t raise sufficient revenues, Congress will either have to cut spending or raise taxes. Either way, it will be out in the open and everyone will know. If they raise taxes, people would be aware of it and, in my view, would likely protest. That’s a complete break with the current approach, which is a hidden snowballing of taxes. The second thing that attracted me was that it would collect on unreported income, which to me is a major weakness of today’s system. Too many people aren’t paying their fair share. We don’t even know how many there are, but we know there are many. Under the FairTax, everyone who buys new things would pay taxes, regardless of where their money came from.
	Allan C. King Director The present tax system is broken. The FairTax is a bold and workable plan that would provide change for everyone in the U.S., and I wanted to be part of it. All feedback is positive from the grass roots and from many politicians. The challenge is to get the message out to the grass roots in all 435 congressional districts. It is a huge challenge, but doable.