The Economic Folly of a Carbon Tax

 A carbon tax functions more like an income tax than a consumption tax, capturing all forms of work, including capital goods production and building construction.

These sectors are heavy on carbon emissions, meaning the tax disproportionately burdens them, stifling investment and innovation - much like a progressive income tax, but with broader economic repercussions.

The federal tax code is already complex and costly; a carbon tax would exacerbate these issues.

The tax revenues would also enable further overspending, though that's questionable given the supposed purpose of the tax is to reduce carbon emissions and the taxes collected.

Another critical issue in the carbon tax debate is 'who decides?' Climate science is ever evolving, and economic models predicting the outcomes of carbon taxes are fraught with uncertainties.

France's carbon tax led to widespread protests and economic disruption, illustrating such policies' social and economic challenges.

While the intention behind a carbon tax - to reduce American GHG emissions in an effort to combat global climate change - is questionable in itself, the economic realities and principles of free-market economics prove it is a flawed approach. 

https://www.aier.org/article/the-economic-folly-of-a-carbon-tax/