IRS Commissioner: ‘I Find the Tax Code Complex, So I Use a Preparer’(Simplify with The Fair Tax!)

CNSNews.com ^ | January 12, 2010 | Nicholas Ballasy

[phil_will1]

“My point was, and remains, that politicians can and will implement changes to the Fair Tax that will alter it’s execution so that it does not reflect the original intent.”

That objection is not specific to the FairTax, but could, in fact, be applied to any tax reform proposal.

Is that your position - that you defend the current tax system because any attempt to reform it could be sabotaged by congressmen/women who don’t share the goals of the reform measure?

[phil_will1]

“MORE IMPORTANTLY, changing the tax collection method does not solve the problem we face today with

1) Congress spending more than it takes in”

Agreed - the FairTax does not address that problem

“and 2) Congress segmenting the People into different tax buckets and instituting class warfare via the tax code.”

Yes, it does, as long as the Fairtax is implemented as designed. I will concede that this is a tough thing to do, but that is why we need massive public pressure.

“To me, fixing those issues is far more important that changing how we collect taxes.”

However, you have left out a raft of other problems which the current tax code exacerbates and the FairTax addresses:
1. The federal budget deficit (to the extent that slower economic growth in addition to lack of spending restraint contributes to it)
2. the trade deficit
3. the ongoing increases in complexity of the current tax system and consequent increases in compliance costs
4. the crisis in SS & Medicare
5. Our extremely low savings rate

[Oceander]

And how does one make all income taxes unconstitutional? An income tax is nothing more than a species of excise tax, which would suggest that you are going to have to make all excise taxes unconstitutional, which essentially means going back to the Articles of Confederation, which we already know were a failure. That’s not a really wise course in my estimation.

[taxcontrol]

My objection is not with, for or against the Fair Tax, Flat tax or any other tax collection method. My objection is that the SYSTEMIC problems that are far more damaging to the economy are not being address. Fixing the flat tires on my car does not help when the engine is not running, the transmission wont get out of first gear and the axles are broken. There is a vocal group of Fair Tax proponents that are selling the Fair Tax as the end all, be all solution to all problems - which it is NOT.

For example, I often hear Fair Tax proponents claim that the Fair Tax will “starve the government of funds” .... NOTHING IS FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH.

Again, I neither support nor oppose Fair Tax. Just like any tax collection method, there are pros (simplicity) there are neutrals (most likely will be changed from how it is designed, but that is with any method) and cons. Many people argue over the small stuff. X beats Y because of Z. And that is fair debate. But I will continue to caution that until the systemic problems are fixed with Congress, then it really does not matter which flavor of tax collection is implemented.

[RGSpincich]

LLSS ;^>