There are some politicians here in the US who want to do away with property tax and other forms of taxation and fund the national budget mostly with a national sales tax. (17.5% is lower that the usual estimates of how much it would have to be, but it seems that no one really knows.)They are generally thought to be kooks, but some are taken seriously on other grounds. Given the UK's experience with VAT, I would be interested in hearing what you on the eastern side of the Atlantic think. Would abolishing VAT be popular there? What kinds of taxation could replace it?

One of the arguments against a national sales tax is that it is unreliable, and the amount it brings in would vary quite a bit from year to year. Is this the case with VAT?