One of the many foolish ideas now floating around in the U.S. House of Representatives is a "border adjustment tax." This piece of mercantilist nonsense is intended not only to punish U.S. producers who import raw materials and components, but also to reap revenue to "pay for" reductions in U.S. taxes on personal and corporate income. For now, the income-tax reductions remain pie in the sky.
In any event, however, the idea of raising taxes in order to lower taxes is downright dumb. If the government were serious about cutting the tax burden on U.S. residents, it would cut its spending. That spending, by which the government appropriates a large chunk of currently produced goods and services for its own use, is the true tax burden. Unfortunately, few noneconomists understand this truth.