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If "flat tax" only means go to a single income bracket and percentage, it would not simplify the tax code much at all. The progressive part of tax code involves

If "flat tax" only means go to a single income bracket and percentage, it would not simplify the tax code much at all. The progressive part of tax code involves a single lookup at the end. The complexity exists almost entirely in tax expenditures -- deductions, exclusions, credits, etc., etc., etc. I don't know what "real Conservatives" think, but in polling many tax expenditures do very well. For example, 68% of Republicans, 63% of Democrats, and 58% of Independents oppose it eliminating the home mortgage interest deduction. (http://www.scribd.com/doc/117298635/CBS-News-Poll-Fiscal-Cliff http://www.scribd.com/doc/117298635/CBS-News-Poll-Fiscal-Cli... Q47)

jerrac 11y ago
> The complexity exists almost entirely in tax expenditures -- deductions, exclusions, credits, etc., etc., etc. I'm not sure what everyone else thinks, but any flat tax I'd support would have to do away with all of those things. And I'm pretty sure most of my conservative friends would agree. In that poll you linked to, see the "Which Type of Plan Do You Prefer?" question 42. Republicans favored eliminating more deductions. Also, that survey is really bad. In q44-51, they didn't mention cutting spending at all. Change: "q51 (In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose) Reducing some government programs and services that benefit people like you?" to "q51 (In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose) Cutting spending on some government programs and services that benefit people like you?" I expect a lot more Republican responses would favor that idea. And they should at least have mentioned reforming social security and medicare/aid.
- bradleyjg 11y ago
  >>In that poll you linked to, see the "Which Type of Plan Do You Prefer?" question 42. Republicans favored eliminating more deductions. It's really easy to support eliminating generic tax expenditures. The rubber meets the road when you start listing out the highest cost ones: exclusion of fringe benefits from income; tax advantaged retirement accounts, contributions, and limited social security taxability; mortgage interest deduction and home sale capital gains exclusion, charitable deduction, deduction for state and local taxes, preferential rates for capital gain and dividend income, capital gain basis step up at death, child tax credit and child tax exemption. >> "Reducing some government programs and services that benefit people like you?" vs "Cutting spending on some government programs and services that benefit people like you?" What's the difference? Are you really going to tell me that these spending cuts are going to be pain free because it'll just come out of waste, fraud and abuse? Edit in lieu of further nesting: fair enough.
  - jerrac 11y ago
    The difference is how you word the question.

jerrac 11y ago

> The complexity exists almost entirely in tax expenditures -- deductions, exclusions, credits, etc., etc., etc. I'm not sure what everyone else thinks, but any flat tax I'd support would have to do away with all of those things. And I'm pretty sure most of my conservative friends would agree. In that poll you linked to, see the "Which Type of Plan Do You Prefer?" question 42. Republicans favored eliminating more deductions. Also, that survey is really bad. In q44-51, they didn't mention cutting spending at all. Change: "q51 (In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose) Reducing some government programs and services that benefit people like you?" to "q51 (In order to reduce the budget deficit, would you favor or oppose) Cutting spending on some government programs and services that benefit people like you?" I expect a lot more Republican responses would favor that idea. And they should at least have mentioned reforming social security and medicare/aid.

bradleyjg 11y ago
>>In that poll you linked to, see the "Which Type of Plan Do You Prefer?" question 42. Republicans favored eliminating more deductions. It's really easy to support eliminating generic tax expenditures. The rubber meets the road when you start listing out the highest cost ones: exclusion of fringe benefits from income; tax advantaged retirement accounts, contributions, and limited social security taxability; mortgage interest deduction and home sale capital gains exclusion, charitable deduction, deduction for state and local taxes, preferential rates for capital gain and dividend income, capital gain basis step up at death, child tax credit and child tax exemption. >> "Reducing some government programs and services that benefit people like you?" vs "Cutting spending on some government programs and services that benefit people like you?" What's the difference? Are you really going to tell me that these spending cuts are going to be pain free because it'll just come out of waste, fraud and abuse? Edit in lieu of further nesting: fair enough.
- jerrac 11y ago
  The difference is how you word the question.