Chairman Reports

THE CHINA TARIFF DISPUTE—LARGELY UNNECESSARY Read More.

The Swamp is confused by the growing unrest about the IRS not providing free filing software to lower income taxpayers. Congress is requiring lower income taxpayers to rely on “free” software provided by tax preparation companies like TurboTax and H&R Block. The Swamp asks, What is the big deal? Read More.

The first federal excise tax on gasoline was one cent when it was first instituted in 1932. Since 1993, it has been 18.4 cents per gallon of gasoline and 24.4 cents per gallon of diesel fuel. It has not been adjusted for the approximately 73% of inflation. This means that it takes $1.73 in today’s dollars to purchase $1.00 of goods in 1993. Read More.

Privacy is important to every American. But do you have the privacy you think you do? The IRS may have other thoughts. Read on. Read More.

This week Z Street v. IRS was settled. Most of the media ignored it but the Wall Street Journal printed an Op-Ed by Lori Lowenthal Marcus, its executive director. Ms. Marcus started Z Street in 2009 to educate people about the struggles Israel is having with terrorism. In December of 2009, she applied to the IRS for tax-exempt status. Read More.

Income taxes harming American churches? It almost happened. Here’s how we can prevent it from ever happening again. Read on. Read More.

Most people in America still believe in the basic principle that to get more of something you should reward it. We know that if children find that they can get what they want by screaming and throwing a tantrum every time someone says no, they will use screaming and tantrums as a way of addressing anything they don’t like… Read More.

Russell Long served as a U.S. Senator from 1948 until 1987 and was chairman of the Senate Finance Committee for fifteen years from 1966 to 1981. During a meeting at his Washington, D.C. office in the early 1990’s, the Senator related that during his time on the Senate Finance Committee, there was always a constant stream of lobbyists explaining why they were in favor of tax reform as long as it did not affect their client’s particular tax benefit… Read More.

Realtors would see a big benefit from the FAIRtax (and so would everyone else). So why aren’t they lobbying in favor of real tax reform? Read More.

Some call him our greatest President, but how was Lincoln when it came to taxation? Would he have been a FAIRtax ally? Read on. Read More.

The election is over. What happens next for FAIRtax? Read More.

Understanding ‘swamp talk’ isn’t easy. Politicians often say one thing and do another, while families and small businesses pay the price… Read More.

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT– July 3, 2018 by: Steve Hayes, AFFT Chairman and President Share Tweet FACTS ABOUT THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND ITS SIGNERS For many Americans, July 4th has become a day off from work and an opportunity to gather with family and maybe enjoy a fireworks show. For some, there are 4th of July parades. For others, it is just an opportunity to catch up on their sleep and maybe do some chores around the house. However, in a conversation with Phil Hinson, a member of the AFFT board of directors and Vice President, we discussed how so many people seem to have forgotten the real risks and consequences faced by the 56 men signing the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Many of these men were wealthy and all were living comfortable lives. They were also intelligent men that recognized that they were advocating a rebellion against the greatest military power on earth. This was a time when traitors, and these men were considered traitors by the British, were at best imprisoned but most often just slain. These men also fully knew that they were not only risking their life and property but the welfare of their families because often their assets were also seized. They fully appreciated that the last sentence of the Declaration was more than just eloquent words. “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, was one of the wealthiest people in the colonies. His large signature on the Declaration of Independence was his act of defiance to the British who had posted a large reward for his capture. When he signed, he commented, “The British ministry can read that name without spectacles; let them double their reward.” No delegate missed the meaning of John Hancock’s statement, “We must be unanimous; there must be no pulling different ways; we must hang together.” Nor did anyone miss the import of Benjamin Franklin’s words as he prepared to sign when he echoed the sentiments of Hancock, “We must all hang together or most assuredly we will all hang separately.” No one thought him being melodramatic when hearing New Jersey delegate Abraham Clark’s statement as he signed the Declaration, “Let us prepare for the worst. We can die here but once.” This information about the signers is from the Constitution Society: Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists Eleven were merchants Nine were farmers and large plantation owners Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. Here is a link to an excellent video done by Paul Harvey about the signers and their fates. g PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE FAIRTAX? Telling your friends and relatives about our new and improved FAIRtax Power Radio is a great way to help us garner more support. It is the American people who must demand REAL tax reform in Congress. We are trying our best to inform America about the FAIRtax! Please help us. Tune into our video broadcast each Wednesday. If you can’t watch live, then listen to the podcast of the show later. You can listen to FTPR on any platform - Mac or PC, iPhone or Android. And it’s 100% free. Listen on Spreaker.com (http://bit.ly/2oesbk7), iTunes (http://apple.co/1Te8VdF) or iHeart Radio (http://bit.ly/2eqEG7y) on your computer or smartphone. The easiest way to listen to FTPR on your smartphone is by downloading the free FTPR app. Just search for “FAIRtax Power Radio” in your app store, download the app and start listening. A new podcast follows the live show every Wednesday just after High Noon. Please listen and tell everyone you know about the FAIRtax Power Radio. The FAIRtax: Once You Understand It, You’ll Demand It! THE FAIRTAX BOOK FOR NEWBIES - AMERICA’S BIG SOLUTION CHAIRMAN’S REPORT– July 3, 2018 by: Steve Hayes, AFFT Chairman and President Share Tweet FACTS ABOUT THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE AND ITS SIGNERS For many Americans, July 4th has become a day off from work and an opportunity to gather with family and maybe enjoy a fireworks show. For some, there are 4th of July parades. For others, it is just an opportunity to catch up on their sleep and maybe do some chores around the house. However, in a conversation with Phil Hinson, a member of the AFFT board of directors and Vice President, we discussed how so many people seem to have forgotten the real risks and consequences faced by the 56 men signing the Declaration of Independence in 1776. Many of these men were wealthy and all were living comfortable lives. They were also intelligent men that recognized that they were advocating a rebellion against the greatest military power on earth. This was a time when traitors, and these men were considered traitors by the British, were at best imprisoned but most often just slain. These men also fully knew that they were not only risking their life and property but the welfare of their families because often their assets were also seized. They fully appreciated that the last sentence of the Declaration was more than just eloquent words. “And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes, and our sacred Honor.” John Hancock, president of the Continental Congress, was one of the wealthiest people in the colonies. His large signature on the Declaration of Independence was his act of defiance to the British who had posted a large reward for his capture. When he signed, he commented, “The British ministry can read that name without spectacles; let them double their reward.” No delegate missed the meaning of John Hancock’s statement, “We must be unanimous; there must be no pulling different ways; we must hang together.” Nor did anyone miss the import of Benjamin Franklin’s words as he prepared to sign when he echoed the sentiments of Hancock, “We must all hang together or most assuredly we will all hang separately.” No one thought him being melodramatic when hearing New Jersey delegate Abraham Clark’s statement as he signed the Declaration, “Let us prepare for the worst. We can die here but once.” This information about the signers is from the Constitution Society: Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists Eleven were merchants Nine were farmers and large plantation owners Five signers were captured by the British as traitors, and tortured before they died. Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned. Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured. Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War. Here is a link to an excellent video done by Paul Harvey about the signers and their fates. g PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE FAIRTAX? Telling your friends and relatives about our new and improved FAIRtax Power Radio is a great way to help us garner more support. It is the American people who must demand REAL tax reform in Congress. We are trying our best to inform America about the FAIRtax! Please help us. Tune into our video broadcast each Wednesday. If you can’t watch live, then listen to the podcast of the show later. You can listen to FTPR on any platform - Mac or PC, iPhone or Android. And it’s 100% free. Listen on Spreaker.com (http://bit.ly/2oesbk7), iTunes (http://apple.co/1Te8VdF) or iHeart Radio (http://bit.ly/2eqEG7y) on your computer or smartphone. The easiest way to listen to FTPR on your smartphone is by downloading the free FTPR app. Just search for “FAIRtax Power Radio” in your app store, download the app and start listening. A new podcast follows the live show every Wednesday just after High Noon. Please listen and tell everyone you know about the FAIRtax Power Radio. The FAIRtax: Once You Understand It, You’ll Demand It! THE FAIRTAX BOOK FOR NEWBIES - AMERICA’S BIG SOLUTION Read More.

There’s a new idea floating around the Senate: Taxing an individual’s wealth, not just their income. Our Chairman, a former tax attorney, discusses this new wealth tax in this week’s Chairman’s Report. Read on! Read More.

As the years pass, many of us find that some physical things are not as easy as they used to be. For some, there is new meaning to Sonny Steele’s (played by Robert Redford) statement to Hallie Martin (played by Jane Fonda) in the movie Electric Horseman, “Some parts wake up faster than others.” Read More.