Eau Claire business owner states case for the Fair Tax plan - WQOW TV: Eau Claire, WI NEWS18 News, Weather, and Sports

Eau Claire (WQOW) - An Eau Claire business owner says he has an idea to help jumpstart the economy.

"We've had a lot of people from Fortune 500 companies, CEOs of these companies, who have said they would bring their next factory into the United States if the Fair Tax were enacted," says Eric Nelson, owner of The Coffee Grounds in Eau Claire.

WQOW News 18 has been examining the call for tax reform this week.  Nelson says there's more interest in the Fair Tax now than ever before.  He says it would eliminate the need for state and income taxes.  The Fair Tax would be collected based on what you buy, with a 23% flat tax on new items only.  Nelson says it's a simple plan that would replace the lengthy, complex tax code that we have today.

"It really puts the United States on an equal playing field with the rest of the world when it comes to taxing people, taxing businesses, and it allows corporations to bring their jobs and their factories back into the United States," says Nelson.  "Right now, we have one out of every six people in the House of Representatives who are co-sponsors and supporters of the Fair Tax.  It's by far the largest amount of co-sponsors of any tax plan in front of Congress right now," said Nelson.