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Taxation

Over the past four years, the tax code has become even more burdensome and complex. Taxes now exceed the cost of food, clothing, shelter, and transportation contained for the average household. The tax burden should decline during times of prosperity and peace. However, since World War II, federal taxes have risen to their highest level and of the national economic output currently consume more than 20 percent.

The American Voice Institute of Public Policy believes that the vast majority of Americans that the current tax code should be eliminated and replaced by a simple and fair system like the flat tax that treats equally all taxpayers.

Incomes would only be taxed one time by a flat tax and would eliminate confusing and discriminating special interest preferences in the Internal Revenue Codes because of one low rate. On work, savings, investment, risk-taking, and entrepreneurship, it would reduce tax rates. The billions of hours that are currently required annually to comply with the maze of tax forms, regulations, rules, and other requirements would decline because of its simplicity. Also, the potential for bureacratic abuses that led to the 1997 and 1998 widely publicized congressional hearings on the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) would virtually be eliminate the potential for.

The most reprehensible aspect of the current tax code for many Americans is that it allows powerful and politically influential individuals to manipulate for their own advantage the tax system.

Many taxpayers understandably want to protect their earnings since the tax burden is at record levels. However, a pervasive sense of unfairness is fostered by the system of loopholes, credits, deductions and exemptions. And encourages lawmakers on any income that does not enjoy special states to impose even higher tax rates. A flat tax would uphold the moral principle that to everyone the law should apply equally as a result of eliminating special preferences.

Growth and job creation have been rendered powerless, and ineffective by excessive levels of taxation that stifle incentives to work, save and invest in other nations, particularly in Europe. This precedent should not be allowed to be followed by the United States even though its tax code is far less onerous. This only would add to this dangerously counterproductive trend.

To view the Taxation Policy Report, Click Here.

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