[ancient_geezer]

The U. S. tax code is much like an elephant in one’s living room. There are those that realize the elephant eats a lot and creates a mess, but there are others that consider the elephant to be nothing more than a member of the family.

The question becomes, which kind of Congress Critter, is yours?

Time to find out don't you think?

FairTax - Congressional Score Card

[ancient_geezer]

A Taxreform bump for you all.

If you would like to be added to this ping list let me know.

[Kerberos]

Tell me about it. I am managing a tax office this year and it is an eye opening experience to have a front row seat. It is also quit an experience in actually seeing how the government penalizes those that our successful in our society, and rewards those that contribute nothing.

Particularly in the realm of the EIC credit (Earned Income Credit), but I will save that for another thread when I have more time.

[IronKros]

What would be the incentive for buying a house? Would they not add the tax to the cost of the house?

[pogo101]

I agree with the post's notion of replacing most income taxes, and hence the need to file returns, with a comprehensive consumption tax. The tricky part is this: liberals will try to sabotage any such effort such that we would soon end up with ADDED taxes instead of REPLACED ones.

[WhiteGuy]

YOU LIAR!!!!

You're still working?

Not very "ANCIENT" if you ask me.

(You still might be a geezer though........)

FAIRTAX BUMP

[<1/1,000,000th%]

"I am Spartacus!"

[ExSES]

Our return is not complicated at least not compared to some in our age bracket. We both received W-2 forms from our employers, we have bank and brokerage accounts that generate taxable income and we paid property taxes on our home, mortgage interest and had some charitable contributions that produce deductions. When I printed our return and the supporting worksheets, I ended up with 65 pages. This is, of course, ridiculous.

RIDICULOUS is right, I've prepared tax returns for individuals with over $1,000,000 AGI and had no where near 65 printed pages involved! If you are a "Day Trader" with thousands of trades... maybe (the Schedule D Forms have to account for each trade). Or perhaps you are "documenting" the huge value of each of the numerous pieces of crystal you gave to your favorite charity (neither of which scenarios apply to more than 0.01% of taxpayers).

I suspect something really smells in the "facts" cited in this posting! Income taxes are far more complicated than they should be and grow more complicated every year but, this is because EVERYONE has their own little "Pet Benefit" to demand and ultimately have their congresscritter deliver! While we all rail against the complexities..., NONE of us are willing to give up the current system if we determine that we will lose a dollar of advantage under whatever system is proposed as a replacement!!!

Remember the centuries old adage... "Don't tax you and don't tax me...., tax that fella over under that tree" (true in the 1700s as it is today!).