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Re:Detecting Money Laundering by tptacek on Monday June 27, 2016 @12:29AM (#11984209)
I agree with your positive claim. Some tax systems are more distortionary than others. I think it's likely that consumption taxes are less distortionary than income taxes.

I don't think I agree with your normative claim. I think ceteris paribus that it's a virtue of a tax system if people pay in proportion to the value they get out of society. It sounds like you think that virtue is controlling. I think there are other virtues as well.

Re:Detecting Money Laundering by grinnbearit on Monday June 27, 2016 @04:41AM (#11984881)
People get value out of a society by consuming goods and services, income is how we as a society measure the value a person provides.

Income Tax taxes value provided, Consumption Tax taxes value consumed.

-- Consumption taxes can also be scaled/slabbed with the amount consumed, they don't have to be regressive.