State of South Carolina Archives: on Tax Reform

Ralph Norman: Cut taxes and eliminate regulations that kill job-creation

Why I Am Running for Congress: During my time at the State House, I have represented my constituents as a principled conservative. The S.C. Club for Growth, the state's leading conservative watchdog, agrees. Earlier this year, they presented me with the Taxpayer Hero Award and a perfect score on their legislative scorecard. I will fight to put our federal government's fiscal house in order, pass an amendment to the Constitution requiring balanced budgets, introduce term limits legislation, and repeal President Obama's misguided one-size-fits-all government-run health care plan. Today, I am asking for your vote because I want the chance to help create more jobs, more wealth and more opportunity for us all.

Joyce Dickerson: Fight for America's declining middle class

Joyce understands the necessity of reducing our nation's debt for a more sustainable America.

Thomas Ravenel: Cut wage taxes, death taxes, & corporate taxes

I support a complete overhaul of our current tax policy. Today, the government taxes Americans at every turn. We're taxed on our wages, when we make purchases with what's left of those wages, when we make gains on after-tax dollars, and even when we die.

We must also cut corporate taxes. The US has the highest corporate tax rate in the world at 40%. This places us at a severe disadvantage when competing globally. Additionally, instead of having a territorial tax system like most developed nations, the US has a world-wide tax system. This means our government taxes companies headquartered in the US if they earned income in other countries--even though those companies already paid taxes where the income was originally generated.

Brad Hutto: Maintain current tax levels, except gas tax to improve roads

A: Maintain Status.

Q: Cigarette taxes?

A: Greatly Increase.

Q: Corporate taxes?

A: Maintain Status.

Q: Gas/Oil taxes?

A: Slightly Increase.

Q: Property taxes?

A: Maintain Status.

Q: Sales taxes?

A: Maintain Status.

Q: Income taxes (low-income families)?

A: Maintain Status.

Q: Income taxes (mid-income families)?

A: Maintain Status.

Q: Income taxes (high-income families)?

A: Maintain Status.

Hutto adds, "Any increase in the gas tax should be dedicated to improvement of infrastructure."

Nikki Haley: Flatten individual income tax from six brackets to three

Fred Thompson: Tax cuts raise revenues; so much for the experts

GIULIANI: Well, the reality is that some tax cuts d add to revenues. Other tax cuts don’t add to revenues. It depends on the tax cut. If it is anti-competitive, you’re actually going to get more revenues from that tax cut.

THOMPSON: I need to defend Rudy a little bit on his tax plan, because it looks an awful lot like the one I put out a couple of months ago. The government never loses as much revenue as the experts say we’re going to. With the ‘01 and ‘03 tax cuts in place, we received more revenue into the government in one day in April of this year than ever before in the history of the country. So much for the experts, as far as that’s concerned. It does stimulate growth and it’s overall beneficial for the economy.

Ron Paul: Spending money doesn’t stimulate economy; reduced taxes do

A: Well, a government program is too vague. What kind of a government program? If it’s appropriating money and trying to stimulate that way and spend more money, no, that would be the wrong thing to do. But a government program of a reduced tax burden, yes, that would be. I believe we’re in a recession. Over-stimulation in an economy by artificially low interest rates by the Federal Reserve is the source of the recession.

Rudy Giuliani: Cutting anti-competitive taxes raises more revenue

A: Well, the reality is that some tax cuts do add to revenues. Other tax cuts don’t add to revenues. It depends on the tax cut. And tax cutting has been part of the Bush program, the Reagan program, the Kennedy program, and it always led to significan increase in economic activity. If you cut something like the corporate tax at 35%, you bring it down to 30%, you will get more revenues from that cut, because our corporate tax is the second highest in the world. If you cut some other tax, you might not get those kinds of revenues. So, the question is: What tax are you cutting? Is it anti-competitive? If it is anti-competitive, you’re actually going to get more revenues from that tax cut.

James Emerson Smith: Eliminate inheritance tax, property tax, and vehicle tax

Smith indicates support of the following principles concerning taxation.
• Greatly Increase Cigarette taxes
• Maintain Status on Corporate taxes
• Maintain Status on Income taxes
• Eliminate Inheritance taxes
• Eliminate Property taxes
• Eliminate Vehicle taxes

Q: Should Internet sales be taxed?

A: No.

Q: Do you support a revenue-dependent income tax reduction in South Carolina?

A: No.