Study and phase a broad consumption tax so more real economic activity is fairly captured

Our income-tax-heavy system misses a lot of activity that never shows up as wages. A carefully designed consumption tax can broaden what is collected at federal and local levels without only squeezing paychecks.

Signatures

Avg. intensity

— / 5

Opened

Aug 27, 2026

Who can implement this

U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means

Tax-writing committee leadership · Elected office

United States Congress · United States

Why this seat: Federal tax design originates in Ways and Means. A study-and-phase directive from this committee is the realistic path to a broader base.

Seat authority: Ways and Means is the primary House committee that writes federal tax legislation.

The ask

Direct tax-writing committees and GA/US representatives to publish a public study-and-phase plan for a broad consumption-based tax component that captures more economic activity currently missed by income-tax administration, with explicit protections for low-income households and a path to simpler compliance.

Why this matters

America’s tax stack is complicated, hard for ordinary people to navigate, and leaves large streams of economic activity lightly taxed or untaxed compared with wages that are withheld every paycheck. **The problem** - Wage income is easy to see and easy to tax. - Much other activity — cash-heavy trades, certain international flows, consumption by people whose income is hard to track — is harder to capture under current income-tax rules. - Complexity itself is a cost: compliance time, software, and loopholes favor those who can afford advisors. **What this signal asks for** Not a slogan overnight rewrite. A **serious, public study-and-phase plan** for a **broad consumption tax** (sales / VAT-style or hybrid) that: 1. **Broadens the base** — captures more real purchases and economic activity that today’s income-tax machinery misses. 2. **Protects working families** — pairs any shift with clear relief (e.g. rebates, exemptions on essentials, or credits) so the poor are not hit hardest. 3. **Increases reliable collections** for federal *and* local governments that need predictable revenue for schools, roads, and safety. 4. **Simplifies over time** — reduces the maze of special treatments that only specialists can use. **What this is not** - Not a demand to “tax everything tomorrow.” - Not an endorsement of any single private bill language. - Not a claim that consumption taxes solve every budget problem alone. Hosting this petition on Pulse is not an endorsement by any host organization of every political view — it is a lawful signal so leaders can see what people want.

Hosting is not endorsement. Pulse is a neutral instrument for lawful signals. Featuring a petition means people asked leaders to notice — not that every host organization supports every cause.