[Mr Rogers]

The IRS doesn’t have all the information required. For example, if you do landscaping on your rental property, whether you depreciate the cost or deduct depends on how close you planted the plants to the building. College credits can depend on if you bought the books from the University or Amazon. Who gets to claim a kid after the divorce depends on a variety of things, including how many nights the child spent with a given parent.

Is it a hobby or a business? How much did you spend for stamps? Do you have a business plan?

If tax laws only involved W2s, we could all file a 1040EZ in 5 minutes. But the laws are written to control every aspect of our lives, and that requires answering a lot of questions. As long as tax laws are used to reward some groups and punish others (single people and anyone who is successful), preparing taxes will be complex.

[Mr Rogers]

Sorry. Landscaping splits between adding to the cost of the property and deducting. I’m tired this morning.

[zeugma]

If tax laws only involved W2s, we could all file a 1040EZ in 5 minutes. But the laws are written to control every aspect of our lives, and that requires answering a lot of questions. As long as tax laws are used to reward some groups and punish others (single people and anyone who is successful), preparing taxes will be complex.

This is exactly why the whole idea of the flat tax will not accomplish anything at all to reduce the insane power of the IRS. A national sales tax of 10% is really the only solution.

We need a constitutional amendment that does 2 things.

1. Abolish the IRS
2. Establish a national sales tax of 10% with the rate set in the amendment itself so congress can't change it without going through the amendment process

Why 10%? Simple. God only asks for 10%, the government doesn't deserve more than the Lord.