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Cruz Calls for Abolishing IRS, Moving to ‘Simple Flat Tax’
National Review Online ^ | June 3, 2013 | Andrew Johnson

Posted on 06/03/2013 9:36:15 AM PDT by neverdem

Senator Ted Cruz offered a solution to the IRS’s scandal: get rid of the agency entirely and simplify the tax code so that tax returns fit on a piece of paper the size of a postcard.

“We ought to abolish the IRS and instead move to a simple flat tax,” Cruz said on Fox News over the weekend.

“Put down how much you earn, put down a deduction for charitable contributions, for home mortgage, and how much you owe,” he continued. “It ought to be just a simple, one-page postcard.”...

(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Crime/Corruption; Front Page News; Politics/Elections; US: District of Columbia; US: Texas
KEYWORDS: abolishirs; flattax; irsscandal; tedcruz
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To: DesertRhino

That’s a problem with blanket law, that while easy to understand, the more universal you try to make it, the more people just don’t fit. In an effort to be fair, injustice results, which is why there are judges.

There never has been a really good manner of taxation to fund the government. Perhaps the best we can hope for is a way that works for a while, before it needs to be changed.


61 posted on 06/03/2013 10:43:10 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy (Best WoT news at rantburg.com)
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

Eliminate deductions entirely and there’s no problem.


62 posted on 06/03/2013 10:44:14 AM PDT by dinodino
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To: DesertRhino
Everyone from pauper to millionaire should pay the same percentage.

Couldn't agree more.

63 posted on 06/03/2013 10:47:43 AM PDT by LaRueLaDue
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To: neverdem

It isn’t going to happen. Nothing short of a bloody revolution would abolish such agencies. The federal progressive income tax was instituted 100 years ago and after surviving that length of time practically unchallenged the government would consider it untouchable.


64 posted on 06/03/2013 10:55:22 AM PDT by TexasRepublic (Socialism is the gospel of envy and the religion of thieves)
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To: TexasRepublic
It isn’t going to happen. Nothing short of a bloody revolution would abolish such agencies.

Unfortunately, I feel you're right and it's coming. However, our founders did leave us with a number of tools. In this case, IMO, a CC (Constitutional Convention) called by the states, while we still have a major majority of "Red States" might be able to pull it off, if for the sole purpose thereof.

65 posted on 06/03/2013 11:12:50 AM PDT by Errant
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy; All

I don’t understand why you should get a tax break for having kids, unless your goal is socially engineer higher birthrates. Having kids is a lifestyle _choice_ - should I get a tax break because I chose to buy an expensive car that gets 10MPG?


66 posted on 06/03/2013 11:19:11 AM PDT by gura (If Allah is so great, why does he need fat sexually confused fanboys to do his dirty work? -iowahawk)
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To: Errant

I am afraid a CC would only open Pandora’s box of horrors. Our Constitution was written by moral and enlightened men. That same calibre of men would not fill a CC today. Most politicians today are immoral and/or corrupt.


67 posted on 06/03/2013 11:23:02 AM PDT by TexasRepublic (Socialism is the gospel of envy and the religion of thieves)
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To: skeeter

“But... that means the government would have to contract & spend less of our money.”

Or...it means the gov’t would have to allow freedom to reign so as to create the envornment for a robust economy, resulting in ever more tax revenues from that.

I know, it’s more fun for politicans to make serfs out of the people, take away their rights, and confiscate whatever wealth they can muster.


68 posted on 06/03/2013 11:23:26 AM PDT by MichaelCorleone (Jesus Christ is not a religion. He's the Truth.)
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To: 2ndDivisionVet; AirForce-TechSgt; Alamo-Girl; Allen In Texas Hill Country; Army Air Corps; ...
Texas Ping List Shout.

Agree or disagree, at least Cruz is bring the conversation to the masses.

Unlike the current CoC, who can't remember nuttin’.

69 posted on 06/03/2013 11:26:42 AM PDT by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: TexasRepublic
I am afraid a CC would only open Pandora’s box of horrors.

You mean we don't have a Pandora’s box of horrors opened already???

What a relief!

70 posted on 06/03/2013 11:27:22 AM PDT by Errant
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To: The Free Engineer
Add to the list of problems of the flat tax:

A large problem is in deciding what is and isn't income. There have been proposals to tax an 'imputed rent' on the house you own. Of course, unlike owning real rental property, you don't get to deduct expenses or depreciation or set your own rental rate.

The IRS can keep everybody busy, all their agents, the CPAs, and the lawyers, just by tweaking the regulations every year on what is and isn't a deductible business or investment expense.

Then you have the problem of mission creep. Suppose we go to the FLAT tax, rather than fire any IRS agents, they'll be retasked to look for small income streams, such as garage sales. Sell your house to your kids, and they'll be auditing what it would have sold for on the open market to make sure you didn't low ball the sale.

The IRS would be somewhat limited in its access to personal information if we went to a sales (FAIR) tax. But they'd also be likely to start watching garage sales and other private party exchanges to make sure the tax was paid, just as would happen with a flat tax.

You really can't cure the government urge to mission creep, but I suppose you can whack that bush down to it's roots every now and then.

71 posted on 06/03/2013 11:35:00 AM PDT by slowhandluke (It's hard to be cynical enough in this age.)
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To: Las Vegas Ron; neverdem

I’m all for a flat tax but how does it remain a flat tax when there are deductions?

To me the idea is to get rid of the manipulation capabilities and that is not possible with deductions.


I agree. Just a lower flat rate that is the same for EVERYONE across the board. No manipulation possible by anyone, anywhere, anytime. Everyone pays the exact same rate.

What about corporate taxes? Can you imagine the savings to corporations if the either didn’t pay tax at all, or just paid one simple flat tax rate?

Or even better , totally abolish the IRS and go with the Fair Tax. Either way, just keep it simple and no deductions as that is an invitation to corruption or influence by the IRS.


72 posted on 06/03/2013 11:45:23 AM PDT by boxlunch (Conservative, reformed protestant Christian, homeschooling mom)
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To: neverdem

Defuding the federal government. I like it.


73 posted on 06/03/2013 11:46:53 AM PDT by Truth2012
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To: Necrovore

Yep. Cruz definitely has guts. I support my Senator 100% on this. He does need to watch his back...others who’ve even mentioned doing this have met *unfortunate circumstances*.


74 posted on 06/03/2013 11:55:31 AM PDT by Jane Long (While Marxists continue the fundamental transformation of the USA, progressive RINOs stay silent.)
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To: Las Vegas Ron
That would require the 17th Amendment get yanked......and I like it!!

The 16th and 17th came in the same year. Evil twins!! They would have to be repealed together in order for any new taxation scheme to work. It is that simple.

75 posted on 06/03/2013 11:56:14 AM PDT by mc5cents (Pray for America)
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To: mc5cents
They would have to be repealed together in order for any new taxation scheme to work. It is that simple.

1,000%...don't know why I didn't include that in my post.

76 posted on 06/03/2013 12:01:32 PM PDT by Las Vegas Ron (The government rejects the natural law because it is an obstacle to its control over us.)
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To: Las Vegas Ron

That’s a rhetorical statement. There are no deductions under a flat tax, that’s the idea.


77 posted on 06/03/2013 12:04:54 PM PDT by wac3rd (Somewhere in Hell, Ted Kennedy snickers....)
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To: Errant
AMEM! Abolish the stupid and tyrannical 16th Amendment...

A flat rate across the boards is still a tax on income, which means you'll still have the hated 16th Amendment, and most probably, the IRS. I'd like to see a more fundamental shift in funding the government. One that shifts the burden from productive activities, to consumptive activities, i.e., the Fair Tax.

78 posted on 06/03/2013 12:05:39 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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To: taxcontrol

interesting


79 posted on 06/03/2013 12:06:43 PM PDT by Nervous Tick
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To: Venturer
everybody pays 10%, no deductions for anything, no expenses count everybody including companies charities and everybody pays 10%.

Sure, until Congress decides that lower income workers should pay less than 10% (or 0%), and higher income earners should pay more.

We'll be right back to the heinous progressive income tax in no time.

80 posted on 06/03/2013 12:08:38 PM PDT by Windflier (To anger a conservative, tell him a lie. To anger a liberal, tell him the truth.)
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