Why Tax Reform Is Forever Doomed

RCM via Washington Post ^ | 04/18/2016 | Robert Samuelson

[DoodleDawg]

In total, the income tax would raise as much revenue as it does now, but top rates would be lower and preferences fewer.

By increasing taxes on the middle and lower classes. The average person takes advantage of charitable donations, mortgage deductions, state and local income tax deductions. Remove those deductions and start taxing them on employer-subsidized health care and their taxes will go up. So how well do you think a campaign based on a promise to raise taxes for most Americans would do?

[Boogieman]

Yep, the boomers spoke and let everyone know that if they tried to fix the problem instead of passing it to the future generations, it would be political suicide.

[SteveH]

A President Trump could simply disband the IRS as his first act of office, citing Obama precedent for law non-enforcement.

Then, let the DC beltway leeches scramble to come up with a better tax structure, and get it passed by Congress, by the end of the next quarter.

[Neoliberalnot]

Gee, I guess I’m elite since I have a CPA do mine too. I would guess half the freepers probably do the same.

[Rashputin]

Repeal the 16th Amendment and the Income Tax is a moot point meaning we’d have to go back to what the Founding Fathers intended, a limited role for the Federal government.

[ichabod1]

“Not bloody likely”

That’s a good phrase. And not quite as offensive here as there.

[stephenjohnbanker]

“It is important to know that there were three major reasons the modern tax code was adopted, none of which had anything to do with the real reason for putting the modern tax system in place (redistribution):

1) the system was touted for its simplicity. The original 1913 form was one page.

2) the rates were low, and for the large majority of Americans, non-existent. Rates started at $20,000, which was a ton of money in 1913. Most Americans didn’t make that much. Moreover, the rates went through six brackets from 1/2% at the lowest rate to the top rate of 6%.”

And most avoided paying the maximum.

[GOPJ]

I have a CPA do my taxes too... which doesn’t mean the tax system wouldn’t be changed quickly if the uber elites had to do their own taxes.

[SunkenCiv]

Here’s the link, not “via Washington Post”.

http://www.realclearmarkets.com/articles/2016/04/18/why_tax_reform_is_forever_doomed_102119.html

[publius911]

Here are some tax preferences (aka, "loopholes" or subsidies) I'd repeal along with government estimates of how much tax revenues would rise in 2016:

This doofus Donaldson and his supporters obviously have enough disposable income not to have to agonize about finding something new to cut in order to deal with necessities.

Millions of 45-year plus workers have contributed to Social Security and watch the hundreds of welfare programs get "cost of living" increases, but necessities including health care expenses are not part of the COLA calculations.

Middle class workers (net taxpayers) have organized their lives around decades long conditions to deal with property taxes, charitable donations and, to add insult to injury, they now can look forward to a******s deciding it's "reasonable" to pay taxes again on Social Security and health care "income."
Meanwhile the parasite indolent look forward to getting "income tax refunds" on income taxes not paid!

Not gonna happen!

[Lockbox]

I disagree, I think the right President could sell Congress on a Flat Tax program. Why? Because since 1913 Congress has made a career out of tax policies changes. So with the slate wiped clean, groups would want changes made to correct the Flat Tax program and now Congress would have decades to milk the system of change demands. So the Americians would get maybe 10 years of basic flat tax before changes which maybe long enough to show a simple tax system works for everyone.

[publius911]

I wonder what this socialist thinks about fairly taxing EBT in general, SNAP, WICs, AFDC, TANF, Section 8 or EITC entitlements.

I know what my opinion is...

Whatever the threshold is for no income tax, applies to every taxpayer. Only the amount over would be taxed. There should be a minimum income tax on all welfare, too, no matter how small. Not less than 1/2 %

And any future tax rate income tax increases must be proportionally across the board.

Everybody must have skin in the game!

[Boogieman]

Yes, it’s funny, some of the most offensive words to a Brit I can post freely on FR, and some of the most offensive words to us would not draw a second look from a Brit.

[DoughtyOne]