Perry Proposes 20 Percent Flat Tax

National Journal ^ | 10-24-11 | Alex Roarty and Rebecca Kaplan

[Lazlo in PA]

Republican presidential candidate Rick Perry unveiled a sweeping economic agenda Monday highlighted by a plan to level a voluntary 20 percent “flat tax” on all taxpayers who will accept it in place of what they’re paying now.

[null and void]

RUSSIA has a lower rate.

[glock rocks]

Yah. That’ll go over big.

[Lazlo in PA]

I agree. I am a little disappointed in how weak this proposal is.

[andyk]

Taxpayers who don’t want to pay a 20 percent flat income tax, he said, can keep their current rate.

Isn't that basically what Newt wants to do? I like Newt's wicked wonkiness, but come on. Basically, this says: "let's keep the negative income tax".

[ken21]

gosh, in addition to local sales taxes of 8-9%,

po’ folks will be payin’ 28-29%,

instead of nothing.

/s

[Nextrush]

A political gimmick and attention getter, but I’m not listening.

[familyop]

"...on all taxpayers who will accept it in place of what they’re paying now."

That would be a tax reduction for many. Great idea!

And to those who obfuscate, we're going to cut spending one way or another, and thereby, cut your government-derived incomes. ;-)

[Feline_AIDS]

Ugh. 20% still is too high.

[Mr. Mojo]

Cut that in half, Rick. Or do you consider 10% to be “heartless?”

[Michael Barnes]

Is this satire?

[GrandJediMasterYoda]

I’m not for this. I agree that flat girls kind of suck but that does not mean they should be punished by being taxed. I am for outlawing breast reduction surgery though. Is there a greater crime against humanity? I think not.

[MrEdd]

How about we cease requiring citizens to keep records of.their income, and challenging the validity of those records without allowing said citizens the check and ballance of a jury of their peers in that process?

Not good enough.

[rbg81]

Thud.

[PGR88]

Taxpayers who don’t want to pay a 20 percent flat income tax, he said, can keep their current rate.

Huh?? So he's going to keep all the old tax code, let people and corporations go through all of the effort (and pay accountants) to find their deductions, and then decide if they want to pay a flat 20% instead? Perhaps they are still developing the idea but with this it has "cheap campaign stunt" written all over it. It will just turn into another AMT. Isn't the whole point of a flat tax to eliminate the hairball of code, cost and lobbying that is our present tax code?

[ExSoldier]

RUSSIA has a lower rate.

No kidding. I think we pay about 17% before deductions. We're barely making it as it stands with both of us being teachers... This proposal is crazy. Worse it's .... it's .... heartless!

[Chode]

thank you...

[Pan_Yan]

I was pleased when word came out that Perry was proposing a flat tax. Now that he has announced he is planning to add it as an option to the current system he's going to get creamed. Unless I'm completely missing something, correct me if I'm wrong, that's not fundamental change: it's political gimmickry.

[Theodore R.]

He doesn’t really mean it; it’s just another effort to make the fallen souffle rise again.