Graves Signs Pledge to Join Anti-Value Added Tax Caucus Once Elected

(RANGER, GA) – Leading conservative candidate for Georgia’s 9th Congressional District, Tom Graves, signed a pledge this week to join the pro-taxpayer, Anti-Value Added Tax (VAT) caucus in Washington, D.C. once elected.

“I am proud to join my fellow pro-taxpayer, free-market conservatives in opposing the Value Added Tax,” said Graves. “This is a hidden tax that will only strain the taxpayer in a not yet recovered economy and will point us in the direction of bigger and bigger government.”

The Anti-VAT Caucus currently has 60 Congressmen and 4 Senators.

According to an Americans for Tax Reform statement, since the introduction of the VAT in Europe, its average tax take has gone from 27 percent to 41 percent, nearly a 50 percent increase in just four decades.  The VAT-less United States still taxes at about the same level as it did in 1967.

“The answer to a thriving economy is less and lower taxes, not more,” said Graves. “Imposing a VAT tax is just another effort to promote a progressive agenda in Washington in defiance of what Americans want and what is proven to be best for them and the economy.”

“We need to be helping the taxpayer by lifting the tax burden and creating private sector solutions to stimulate the economy and create jobs and not weighing the taxpayer down with an additional, hidden tax,” concluded former State Rep. Graves.  

A VAT is not like a national retail sales tax, according to ATR. A sales tax is a line-item on a cash register receipt, and is easily known by the consumer: a very cost effective check on raising the sales tax rate. A VAT, on the other hand, is embedded in the final cost of the goods sold, and is hidden to the consumer.

Graves supports the FairTax, H.R. 25, and has campaigned across the country encouraging its enactment with the bill’s sponsor, U.S. Rep. John Linder, radio talk show hosts Neal Boortz and Herman Cain and Joe the Plumber.

The front runner in the race, Graves has dominated every straw poll in the crowded Special Election field.  He has been endorsed by FreedomWorks, RedState’s Erick Erickson, Club for Growth PAC, the nation’s premier free-market, free enterprise group of conservatives, the Atlanta Tea Party and was the first candidate to be certified 100 percent pro-life by the Georgia Right to Life PAC.

Graves represented the 12th House District from 2003 until March 23, 2010.  Graves announced last May that he would seek the 9th District Congressional seat that was vacated by Congressman Nathan Deal, who is running for Governor.