Why VAT is a terrible idea

I hate the idea of a national sales tax for a very simple reason. Under the current system, once a year we all put together our tax return and see very plainly in black and white how much money we made and how much the government takes away.

Under the VAT, that becomes deeply obscured. Which, of course, is the big reason pro-government people like it. We never have a clean accounting of how much the government is taking from us.