The FairTax proposal, which now has fifty-four sponsors in the U.S. House of Representatives, would institute a national retail sales tax to replace individual and corporate income taxes, payroll and self-employment taxes, and estate and gift taxes. The question of what sales-tax rate would be needed to replace the revenue now raised by other taxes has been the subject of much controversy.

At this event, economist Laurence J. Kotlikoff of Boston University, who coauthored a recent study about this issue, will present his findings. Jane G. Gravelle of the Congressional Research Service and William G. Gale of the Brookings Institution will respond. AEI resident scholar Alan D. Viard will moderate.