Posted on 05/18/2013 10:26:50 AM PDT by Zakeet
The IRS targeting Tea Party groups and other conservative-leaning political organizations has reignited calls for reform and the argument among Capitol Hill Republicans that the federal government has become too big and out of control.
Among those leading the calls for reform is Michigan Rep. Dave Camp, chairman of the Republican-led House Ways and Means Committee, which held a hearing on the scandal five days after the targeting was made public and two days after the resignation of acting IRS Commissioner Steven Miller.
“This systemic abuse cannot be fixed with just one resignation,” Camp said at the start of the hearing Wednesday. “This is a problem of the IRS being too large, too powerful, too intrusive and too abusive of honest, hardworking taxpayers.”
[Snip]
The calls for reform range from revamping the country’s complicated tax code to perhaps overhauling the entire tax-collection agency.
“This is a perfect example of why we need tax reform,” Arkansas Republican Rep. Tim Griffin said Friday.
The idea of reforming the tax code is nothing new, with 2012 Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney among the most recent to try by proposing a more across-the-board or “flatter” tax rate with fewer deductions and loopholes.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
They just don't get it!
Why try to reform something that can't be permanently fixed? Why not just abolish the graduated income tax and the IRS? Why not replace the repressive tax code with tariffs and a flat consumption tax? This would soak the rich, encourage savings and investment, greatly reduce repressive government, and give citizens a clear idea of their tax burden. Isn't this what we all claim to want ... even Liberals?
I think we had a number of folks at the IRS participating in criminal activity. I don’t think this is indicative of what the IRS is all about.
What the IRS is all about, is bad enough on it’s own.
Yes the IRS either needs to be abolished, or severely reduced. This only happens with the changing of the way the government collects taxes from citizens.
The crimes the IRS is now recognized for having perpetrated, are terrible, but they are not the standard operating procedure (as far as we know).
We should keep our animosity narrowly focused on this outrageous behavior, and not allow the incident to get pushed aside in a larger effort.
Heads must roll for these acts.
And next the tax code and the IRS need to be slimmed down to a reasonable size.
JUST SHUT THE DAMNED THING DOWN.
With the proper tax collection system, that’s just about what happens. A national sales tax would need very few agents to enforce the law. IRS actions on individuals would cease outright. Only businesses would be taken to task if they didn’t charge and pass along the national sales tax.
I’m not saying that’s the best idea out there, but something along these lines needs to happen so about 90% of the IRS employees can go find another way to earn money.
Stop all employers from deducting the With holding Tax. For one year, make EVERYONE file Quarterly Estimated Taxes. Make everyone write a check to the IRS. The result will be a tax revolt!
“Why not replace the repressive tax code with tariffs and a flat consumption tax? “
The way they got the income tax passed was as a flat rate. That was the only fair way, they said. Then, the next year they set about making it fairer. Diddling with the tax code is how senators get PAC money. If they don’t have the code to fiddle with then they won’t get the PAC money. That is why the tax code will never be fixed, simplified or changed to a flat rate.
Wouldn’t the government have to make that demand?
If so, why would it, knowing it would cause major problems?
Perhaps I don’t understand your idea fully.
Those are the answers in my opinion. I would go just a little further and say a consumption tax should have no exceptions. All exceptions do is provide a devil’s playground for people trying to manipulate other people.
I have no doubt that the simplicity of such a tax would reduce the costs of good and services enough by eliminating administrative overhead to businesses and the net effect would be just about price neutral.
As long as we allow politicians to use tax policy to coerce behavior, the potential abuse of power will always be with us, and it will be abused as sure as the sun rises.
Taxes have been used as a social bludgeon for years. Have kids? Tax exemption. Invest? tax exemption if you invest in the right things. Put solar on your house? Tax exemption.
It goes on and on and should be totally abolished.
There,fixed it!
“IRS scandal shows agency ‘rotten at the core,’ needs major reform”
Don’t lose track of these other agencies following in the IRS footsteps. As of yesterday all have been found to have been right on the heals of an IRS audit. Only if you are right leaning of course.
The younger, brighter(?) and more lively ones would be lapped up by the FBI and CIA ... the rest would become drunks.
Phuque 'em ... WE'VE been strugglin' for a long time ... let THEM wallow a little.
“Wouldn’t the government have to make that demand?”
Yes, I think so. The House would have to say that it was going to rewrite and simplify the tax laws, and that until the new system was implemented, everyone would be required to pay on a quarterly basis. That would wake a lot of people up. I asked a friend how much he made. He said, “I take home,,,,” I told him I wasn’t interested in what he took home. I was interested in how much he actually made. That stumped him for a while! Then he started paying attention. Went from a Lib to a Conservative in short order.
Reform, No. Elimination, Yes!
Reform?
Eliminate!
“Have kids? Tax exemption. Invest? tax exemption...”
Buy a house - exemption! I honestly don’t think home-owners will ever give theirs up.
It’s kind of an insidious operation isn’t it, pitting one citizen against another so the government can waste as much of the haul as it wants.
The IRS isn’t the only corrupt agency. Likely there isn’t an agency in DC that isn’t just as nasty. This is why God does everyone a favor and permits complete overhauls every once in a while.
I have this one person who complains about how unfair it is to have their income taken from them. (Married) I agree with them. I think it’s wrong too.
They are upper middle-class, have a good income, and have worked very hard to obtain it. I admire the work and work ethic they have demonstrated.
This person doesn’t see much problem with taking more from the rich and large corporations.
I remind this person that they and fellow citizens own the corporations. Their TSAs, retirement funds, and other investments would be harmed by this.
Then I reminded them, that at their annual income, they make more than 99% of the population at large.
The income isn’t that significant, but it’s healthy.
They didn’t believe me when I told them they better be careful who they wished had to pay more taxes.
I think I'll start a post
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