A Simple, Easy Way to Protest Our Tax Code

3/31/2002 | DennisR

[DennisR]

Well, I am almost finished with the most flagrant waste of my time--doing my Federal taxes. Just look at Schedule D to enter the worst nightmare of your tax-paying lives. For years, I have thought a flat rate would be best. The only deduction would be for charitable deductions, nothing else. Even Russia now has a flat rate tax of 13%! I think that's about 3% too high, but, hey, it's a step in the right direction.

Anyway, last night I came up with a great idea that might help politicians realize that they have to do something to end the insanity of a 46,000-page tax code. The idea is this: after sending in your 2001 tax return to the IRS, take your 2001 tax booklet and write "I want a 10% flat tax implemented by 2004," then mail it to one of your federal representatives. If they received tens of thousands of these booklets each year in their mail, maybe they would get an idea that we want simpliciation instead of punishment and distress.

[cidrasm]

If you used a computer tax program the previous year, you do not get the booklet.

I was wondering why I didn't get a booklet this year.

[Caipirabob]

My Congressman can't read.

[BlackbirdSST]

The "Flat Tax" will do nothing to rid us of the montrosity called the IRS. If this doesn't happen first, your low flat tax will mushroom every year, and within a decade we'll be right back here again. Consumption Tax means no more IRS. You want to protest a tax increase, stop consuming. Blackbird.

[DennisR]

Do you know this because he never reads the multi-billion-dollar bills set before him to vote on? If that's the case, I believe we have 535 illiterates working for us.

[DennisR]

That is a battle that will have to be fought every year. They are killing us with incremental taxation. So we can only get it back incrementally. But it is the right thing to do. And the idea would be that it could NEVER exceed 10%.

[rwfromkansas]

Unless you refuse to pay taxes, you don't have room to talk.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Thanks for your comments.

To RightOnLine: I too think the amount we currently spend is excessive and disgraceful. I'm just pointing out that a shift to a flat tax won't fix things unless everyone is honest about how much they want to spend and how tightly they should be intertwined with "the system."

To the rest of you: Thanks for the data. Interestingly, I had a conversation once with my economist brother-in-law about the total involvement of the government in the US economy. He thought that if you took mandates and regulation (e. g., things employers have to do and pay for but wouldn't do otherwise) into account it might be as high as 50%. The actual dollar transfer is lower.

Yet another crazy idea from the point of implementation in the USA would be a VAT (value-added-tax). They'd pass it all right, but they wouldn't do away with other taxes. That's political reality, folks.

I remember the USA in the 50's and 60's when I was growing up. It worked pretty well. Yes, there were high marginal tax rates, but because most people's income was below where they kicked in, and there were plenty of easy loopholes, the overall burden was lower. The country worked well--some would say it was the Golden Age. Moderate taxes (if only in light of today's rates) weren't the only reason, but they didn't hurt.

[Pontiac]

Or the Senator who would have the most influence over taxation. I do not know who that would be. Anyone else know?

Perhaps the Chair man of the Ways and Means Committee.

[DennisR]

Amen.

Here is the text of an email I just sent to about 15 people, including my representatives at the county, state, and federal levels. I suggest we all do the same thing.

-----

Well, I am almost finished with the most flagrant waste of my time--doing Federal taxes. Just look at Schedule D to enter the worst nightmare of your tax-paying lives. For years, I have thought a flat rate would be best. The only deduction would be for charitable deductions, nothing else. Even Russia now has a flat rate tax of 13%! I think that percentage is about 3% too high, but, hey, it's a step in the right direction.

Anyway, here's an idea that might help politicians realize that they have to do something to end the insanity of a 46,000-page tax code: after sending in your 2001 tax return, take your 2001 tax booklet (you may have to get one at the post office; or use a section of the newspaper if you do not have a tax booklet) and write "I want a 10% flat tax implemented by 2004." Then mail it to the senior Senator from your state. If he/she receives tens of thousands of these booklets in the mail each year, maybe he/she will get the idea that we want simplification instead of punishment and distress.

Please forward this email to anyone you think may be sympathetic to reforming our tax system.

Thanks.

-----

Please--everyone else do the same. It will not take much time to get a fairly-substantive protest accomplished.

[DennisR]

I will try to find out who this is and post it. People can decide to whom to send it for maximum effect.

[DennisR]

That would be Bill Thomas, R-CA.

Contact information is located at: Rep Bill Thomas, R-CA, Chairman of House Ways and Means Committee

[DennisR]

Sorry, missed this one. The idea would be that the Feds could NEVER take more than 10% from each one of us. Never, never, never. Not even in emergencies or wartime. Unless it was voluntary. They could set up a fund to which each of us could donate to any war effort. We're going to have to pay for it one way or the other anyway.

[MadRobotArtist]

Okay, if there is a flat tax implemented, people like General Electric, who haven't paid a tax in about 20 years will have to pay. You see, that there are plenty of dishonest corporations who ship stock around from foreign factories, in order to not pay taxes. Here's a great idea. Implement your flat tax on income tax. Implement a small tax on retail items. DO NOT however tax things that you are selling second hand. The tax has been collected on a used item already, why tax it again, and again? That is a little secret people don't understand.

Every time you buy something used from a retail store, the government benefits twice, or more with each transaction.

Flat Tax, Small Sales Tax, no more. Our government takes too much. Almost 45% of my wages go out in taxes, while certain corporations pay none. Make EVERYONE accountable. Who cares about the scumbags and the lowlifes? They pay too, in their own way.

[jadimov]

...23% sales tax would kill our economy...

I don't think it would. Not when you factor in other things:
- elimination of the IRS
- elimination of tax accountants and tax lawyers
- elimination of payroll taxes
- elimination of distortions in business caused by the tax code
- removal of the feds from our personal finances

Also, a high visible tax like that would give people a daily reminder of the excess that is their government.

[DennisR]

Yes--I should have clarified that. It would only be on income tax. I am not really sure what to do about corporations at this point. Although liberals and the press tend to denigrate corporations, face it--the liberals and the media probalby work for corporations. It would not bother me at all if the government did not tax corporations. Why should they? (Oh, boy, I'm probably setting myself up here...) A corporation cannot make money until it spends money--and that gives people jobs. I may be missing something here, but I figure that if it can't vote (like a corporation), it shouldn't be taxed.

[DennisR]

Good points all. Whichever way things go--whether an FT or and NST, someone is going to be unhappy. But I would probably be happy being unhappy with an NST instead of what we have today.

[DennisR]

"...elimination of tax accountants and tax lawyers"

But then we will have to deal with these guys being out on the street running loose and free. And they might have to do something productive. :)

[Paulus Invictus]

Not a bad idea, but they would never see them. Some twerp on their staff would trash them. Those Congresscritters and Senators will do nothing to upset the cash cart wheeling in our taxes in trillion dollar bundles.

I just spent a week of headaches filling out all the papers and conforming to the multitude of laws regulating my small home business. I came up with yet another big donation to the Feds. I am so irritated I can hardly stand it! I worked my keester off for a year, hoping to make a few extra bucks, but with my expenses and the taxes, it's hopeless. Depressing, but the Feds don't care about us "little folk" that people like Hillary hate so much.

Bring on the flat or sales tax! Neither can be any worse than our idiotic tax code, devised and regulated by morons that we pay to assure that we will continue to pay and pay and pay. Hate 'em!

[The_Expatriate]

Everyone benefits from defense, roads, and so forth, so everyone should contribute.

No, not everyone. What about the millions of us expatriate Americans? Why must we pay for infrastructure and services from which we do not benefit...on top of paying taxes in the countries in which we are resident?

[DennisR]

Do you work for a US company? If so, you benefit, albeit indirectly. Are you in a country that could be hostile to the US? Then if you have problems, I believe the US would bail you out. It's been done before. Yes, you might not drive on the roads all the time, but where do you drive when you visit the US?