Replacing the Corporate Income Tax With a Value-Added Tax

Charles C. Engel, II (J.D. 2013, Indiana), Note, Revisiting the Value Added Tax: A Clear Solution to the Murky United States Corporate Tax Structure, 22 Ind. Int'l & Comp. L. Rev. 347 (2012):

As a preliminary issue, this Note examines the complicated and disadvantageous corporate tax structure currently employed in the United States. It then discusses the value-added tax, both in a theoretical sense and through its practical application in the European Union. Though the VAT's use is not complicated, the concept is foreign to many Americans. This Note concludes by recommending that the United States: (1) abolish the corporate income tax and replace it with a VAT, and (2) use the increased revenue to pay down the current national debt. Implementing these recommendations will encourage businesses to locate and remain in the United States, and will incentivize companies not to shift profits overseas to take advantage of lower tax rates. Ultimately, this will keep more tax revenue in the country and will help reduce the national debt.