Posted on 01/30/2006 2:31:32 PM PST by groanup
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, January 30, 2006
Isakson Introduces Legislation to Repeal Tax Code by 2008 Requires Congress to Reauthorize Current Tax Code or Replace It with New System
Flat Tax and National Sales Tax Must Be Considered Among Options
WASHINGTON – Declaring that it's time to give relief to American taxpayers, U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson (R-Ga.) has introduced legislation to repeal the U.S. tax code by 2008 and to force Congress to vote to reauthorize it or replace it with a new system.
Isakson's bill also creates a commission that would be required to examine and to recommend to Congress plausible replacements for the tax code. A flat tax and a national sales tax must be among the options it examines, under Isakson's legislation.
“The average person spends over 13 hours completing IRS Form 1040, and nearly three in five tax filers have to hire help to complete their taxes,” Isakson said. “The time has come for us to give some relief to the American taxpayer through a complete overhaul of our burdensome, confusing and overly complex tax code.”
The Tax Code Termination Act, S.2182, would terminate the current tax code on December 31, 2008. To ensure a smooth transition to a new system, Congress must approve a new tax code by July 4, 2008. If a new system is not approved by July 4, 2008, Congress would be forced to vote to reauthorize the current tax code.
“History has taught us that if we don’t impose a deadline and terminate the tax code by a date certain, overhauling our inefficient system is nearly impossible,” Isakson said. “All options should be on the table and the only way to fairly consider all of them is to start from scratch.”
To help Congress choose the best replacement system, Isakson's bill creates a commission to analyze reform options and report its findings to Congress. The commission would review the impact of the current tax code on the economy, families and workers; the compliance costs to taxpayers, small business and corporations; and the Internal Revenue Service’s ability to administer the current code.
The commission would be required to consider specifically whether the income tax should be replaced with a flat tax, a national sales tax or another option. The commission also would be required to identify the transition costs associated with any change to the present federal tax code.
The commission would also be required to report on the potential impact of any new system on the U.S. economy and on the government’s ability to collect revenue. Additionally, the potential impact of any new system must be presented and reviewed from both static and dynamic scoring models.
The bill will create a National Commission on Tax Reform within the legislative branch, consisting of 15 members. Two of the members will be required to come from businesses with less than 50 employees. The commission will be appointed by the president, the Senate Majority Leader, the Senate Minority Leader, the Speaker of the House and the Minority Leader in the House.
President Bush did this last year, the commission gave President Bush and the rest of the working people of the U.S. the collective middle finger.
Someone should mail Rep Johnny Isakson as copy of the Fairtax book.
We all know that. It was a joke of the worst order of poor taste. We need something to get people up off their collective asses. Maybe Isakson's bill is it. IT CALLS FOR THE ABOLITION OF THE IRS FIRST. I'll bet if you go next door right now and ask your neighbor if he/she is in favor of it the answer would be in the affirmative.
Maybe I'm grasping at straws but I'm sick and tired of the lack of publicity and the stagnation of the whole thing.
If Isakson's politicking then let's call his bluff. I don't disagree with any of you that he's a career politcal (real estate salesman) hack.
Isakson knows all about the fair tax book because people like principled and others have shoved it in his face. He also knows Neal Boortz very well and he also knows John Linder because he used to represent most of Linder's district in congress.
As long as Isakson does not try to hurt HR-25/Fairtax in neither the House nor Senate, then by all means, I have no problems with him pushing his own anti-IRS bill too.
How could he? You know what we used to say in my marketing courses at college: make 'em mad, make 'em glad but just be sure you make 'em remember.
We may think we're doing something on these obscure tax threads but we aren't. We're tossing the ball back and forth in the end zone. Nobody in the stands has a clue. If Isakson's bill makes some waves then GOOD.
Guess what? Our glad rag the AJC has, so far, not even noticed that a Georgia Senator has introduced a bill.
The FairTax is what we the people have created in HR25 and S25 and we demand that congress pass them.
But it is not unheard of in life for someone to seak to destroy ideas similar to theirs own ideas to make their ideas look better.
It is just something to keep in mind.
I didn't say you were accusing Isakson of anything. Re-read and remember we're on the same side here. I'm just trying to advance an idea. Advancing a single bill is good, especially the fair tax bill. But the IDEA needs to take root. S 2182 is just another root. All I've heard, especially from Georgians, is that Isakson's a crook forget it. Well he INTRODUCED the bill. Crook or not the bill is out there and so is the idea - again.
I really think that adhering to only the HR 25 and making it the only possible outcome is hurting us here. We need to cling to any scenario that raises the idea of abolishing the IRS.
I agree with what you are saying and I view Rep Isakon's bill as another shot as the IRS. All I am saying is don't relax your guard, we have come to far to do that now.
Gotta get some sleep.
Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the Federal income tax.Oh yea, notice the coincidental date? That was seven years ago. It's the same dangling carrot year after year.IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
April 14, 1999 Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas (for himself, Mr. THOMAS, Mr. PAUL, Mr. LARGENT , Mr. COX, Mr. BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr. HOSTETTLER, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. TAUZIN, Mr. CAMPBELL, Mr. TANCREDO, Mr. BALLENGER, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. SCHAFFER, Mr. PITTS, Mr. COOKSEY, Mrs. CHENOWETH, Mr. BARR of Georgia, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. MILLER of Florida, Mr. CAMP, Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mr. HERGER, Mr. LINDER, Mr. STUMP, Mr. EVERETT, Mr. DELAY, Mr. BONILLA, and Mr. SKEEN) introduced the following joint resolution; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
JOINT RESOLUTION Proposing an amendment to the Constitution of the United States to abolish the Federal income tax.
Resolved by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled (two-thirds of each House concurring therein), That the following article is proposed as an amendment to the Constitution of the United States, which shall be valid to all intents and purposes as part of the Constitution when ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the several States within seven years after the date of its submission for ratification:
`Article --
`SECTION 1. Three years after the ratification of this article of amendment, the sixteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States is repealed, and the Congress shall have no power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, except in time of war declared by the Congress.'
`SECTION 2. Not later than 180 days after the ratification of the article of amendment proposed by this joint resolution, the Secretary of the Treasury shall report to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate recommendations for any legislation that may be necessary to implement that article.'.
You sound awfully worried.....why stress, lousbolts?
Finally Isakson speaks. It's about time us Gerogians heard his voice. I'm behind him 100%.
You have contacted me in the past regarding your interest in fundamental reform of our tax code. I wanted to keep you updated on the steps I am taking to ensure that this reform takes place.
The tax code is a source of anxiety and frustration for many Americans, and I believe that the time has come to pursue fundamental changes to our tax system. To that end, I have introduced legislation calling on Congress to repeal or replace the Internal Revenue Code of 1896. Reforming the tax code is an obligation that those of us in Washington owe to future generations of Americans, and this bill will ensure that the debate in Washington on reform is more than just talk.
My Tax Code Termination Act creates a Commission that would require a thorough review of the structure and provisions of our current tax code, including exploring options for replacing the current system with a flat income tax or a national sales tax. It is critical that any fundamental tax reform be as seamless as possible by providing a transition plan. Therefore, another priority of the Commission would be to examine the costs that any transition would have on American citizens, businesses, and government. This bill requires that any new federal tax system be approved by Congress before July 4, 2008. If that fails to happen, Congress would be required to vote to reauthorize the current tax code.
In the meantime, Congress must work to make the President's tax cuts permanent. President Bush's tax relief package has reduced taxes for everyone who pays income taxes, eliminated the death tax and marriage penalty tax, and increased the child tax credit. We must work tirelessly to make these tax cuts permanent. Additionally, I have voted for and support making permanent the estate tax, marriage tax penalty relief, the new 10 percent income tax bracket, and the Alternative Minimum Tax relief provisions. Additionally, I support the permanent extension of the Child Tax Credit provisions and of the reduced tax rate set in 2003 for capital gains and dividend income.
Please feel free to visit my website at www.isakson.senate.gov to find more information about my bill or other issues that are important to you. I hope you will not hesitate to call on me in the future if I can be of assistance to you.
Sincerely,
Johnny Isakson
United States Senator
Commission...
Study transition costs...
Reauthorize current tax code...
He's just looking for a reason to keep the income tax IMO.
Why don't you ask him face to face why there is a vocal group of people who claim he lied to them about supporting HR 25 if elected?
Isn't this actually the wording???:
`SECTION 1. Three years after the ratification of this article of amendment, `SECTION 2. Not later than 180 days after the ratification of the article of amendment proposed by this joint resolution, the Secretary of the Treasury shall report to the Committee on Ways and Means of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Finance of the Senate recommendations for any legislation that may be necessary to implement that article.'. ""`Article --
the sixteenth article of amendment to the Constitution of the United States Looey is repealed, and the Congress shall have no power to lay and collect taxes on incomes, except in time of war declared by the Congress.'
Maybe you just looked at the wrong page ... or maybe it's just your chronic cognitive dissonance sysnrome acting up again.
Oh boy!!! Just what we need ... another commission.
That way the legislators can delay doing their jobs in this area for another year or so.
"I had almost written the guy off but this has changed my mind forever."
Perhaps you SHOULD have written him off. Isakson is the consummate politician. He was touting his sunset bill three years ago before he ever ran for the senate. Then when he was ran against 2 FairTaxers in the primary, he signed onto the bill in the house. Now that he's in the senate, he has reverted to his true form.
He's a snake.
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