Setting aside the sheer logistical impossibility of financing the federal government through tariffs alone, it is unclear what exactly would be achieved.
No, replacing income tax with tariffs isn’t basically the same thing. It’s worse. It is replacing a progressive tax (one that is easiest on lower wage earners and gets higher with income levels) to a regressive tax (one that more greatly effects lower wage earners than higher) because lower wage earners have to spend most or all of their income for survival, while high income earners regularly use their surplus money for things unaffected by tariffs, like investments, property, travel, etc.
Now I’m no economician, but isn’t this like saying “we’ll replace writing class with origami class?”
No, replacing income tax with tariffs isn’t basically the same thing. It’s worse. It is replacing a progressive tax (one that is easiest on lower wage earners and gets higher with income levels) to a regressive tax (one that more greatly effects lower wage earners than higher) because lower wage earners have to spend most or all of their income for survival, while high income earners regularly use their surplus money for things unaffected by tariffs, like investments, property, travel, etc.