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Of course, none of the Republicans support this.

adventured 11y ago
Several of the Republican Presidential candidates support drastically simplifying the tax code. Tax code simplification has extremely wide support among the Republican base. The lack of support very likely has more to do with who is presenting it and the approach used.
- jdmichal 11y ago
  This is not about simplifying the tax code. This is about filing returns.
  - adventured 11y ago
    The point I was making is that Republicans do support tax simplification, both at the filing and tax code levels. I'd go so far as to say that every Republican candidate has at one time or another publicly supported simplification across the board when it comes to both the code and filing. If you simplify the tax code - which is desperately needed - the filing simplification is a logical extension of that. For decades Republican candidates have been talking about the idea of being able to file your taxes on a single index card. Simplifying the filing without simplifying the tax code, is putting a bandaid on a gushing wound that is getting worse every year.
- jacobolus 11y ago
  The Republican presidential candidates support “tax simplification” in a way which shifts the distribution of tax burden away from the wealthy and corporate interests, and toward the middle class, or in some cases shrinks the tax base, making up the budget shortfall by cutting social programs. That’s not really comparable to this proposal, which doesn‘t change who pays the taxes, and doesn’t rewrite the tax code, but just makes the paperwork more convenient for everyone.
  - zanny 11y ago
    You're getting downvoted but I have no idea why. "Fair tax" is just a two tier progressive tax, and we know from plenty of economical feedback and data that when you have less absolute money paying the same percentage is way more punishing to you because more of your income is stuck paying for your own survival versus being disposable. There is nothing about having reasonable progressive taxation that is regressive. You can get rid of the writeoff exceptionalism and just institute a quadratic curve from $0 to $1 billion and have the percentages go from 0% to 90% or whatever you want your upper bracket rate to be. Then integrate the curve at your income. Super simple progressive taxation rather than the piecewise writeoff everything hellhole we have today. And that doesn't even touch on how bad capital gains taxes are, which is where real wealth is made and where the owner class makes their killing bleeding the many of their wealth, which is partially caused by a biased tax code in their favor. Simplified progressive capital gains would also be a tangible boon.
- belltaco 11y ago
  >The lack of support very likely has more to do with who is presenting it and the approach used. No, it's because they think that will end up with the Government sending you a tax bill at the end of year, which they're philosophically opposed to. And of course companies like TurboTax spend a lot of money feeding that. https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-maker-of-turbotax-fought-free-simple-tax-filing https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-maker-of-turbotax...
entee 11y ago
Anti-tax advocates are opposed to this kind of measure for 2 reasons: 1.) If we make it easy to file taxes, that means it's less painful and makes it harder to sell the cause of lower taxes as a political issue. 2.) If a citizen gets a bill from the IRS saying, "you owe X" the average person isn't going to risk fighting back with their own set of facts, and is possibly going to pay too much. Personally I don't share the anti-tax advocate's world view or opinions, but I understand the argument and especially understand the danger of argument #2. I'd still be in favor of this law though.

Several of the Republican Presidential candidates support drastically simplifying the tax code. Tax code simplification has extremely wide support among the Republican base. The lack of support very likely has more to do with who is presenting it and the approach used.

jdmichal 11y ago
This is not about simplifying the tax code. This is about filing returns.
- adventured 11y ago
  The point I was making is that Republicans do support tax simplification, both at the filing and tax code levels. I'd go so far as to say that every Republican candidate has at one time or another publicly supported simplification across the board when it comes to both the code and filing. If you simplify the tax code - which is desperately needed - the filing simplification is a logical extension of that. For decades Republican candidates have been talking about the idea of being able to file your taxes on a single index card. Simplifying the filing without simplifying the tax code, is putting a bandaid on a gushing wound that is getting worse every year.
jacobolus 11y ago
The Republican presidential candidates support “tax simplification” in a way which shifts the distribution of tax burden away from the wealthy and corporate interests, and toward the middle class, or in some cases shrinks the tax base, making up the budget shortfall by cutting social programs. That’s not really comparable to this proposal, which doesn‘t change who pays the taxes, and doesn’t rewrite the tax code, but just makes the paperwork more convenient for everyone.
- zanny 11y ago
  You're getting downvoted but I have no idea why. "Fair tax" is just a two tier progressive tax, and we know from plenty of economical feedback and data that when you have less absolute money paying the same percentage is way more punishing to you because more of your income is stuck paying for your own survival versus being disposable. There is nothing about having reasonable progressive taxation that is regressive. You can get rid of the writeoff exceptionalism and just institute a quadratic curve from $0 to $1 billion and have the percentages go from 0% to 90% or whatever you want your upper bracket rate to be. Then integrate the curve at your income. Super simple progressive taxation rather than the piecewise writeoff everything hellhole we have today. And that doesn't even touch on how bad capital gains taxes are, which is where real wealth is made and where the owner class makes their killing bleeding the many of their wealth, which is partially caused by a biased tax code in their favor. Simplified progressive capital gains would also be a tangible boon.
belltaco 11y ago
>The lack of support very likely has more to do with who is presenting it and the approach used. No, it's because they think that will end up with the Government sending you a tax bill at the end of year, which they're philosophically opposed to. And of course companies like TurboTax spend a lot of money feeding that. https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-maker-of-turbotax-fought-free-simple-tax-filing https://www.propublica.org/article/how-the-maker-of-turbotax...

entee 11y ago

Anti-tax advocates are opposed to this kind of measure for 2 reasons: 1.) If we make it easy to file taxes, that means it's less painful and makes it harder to sell the cause of lower taxes as a political issue. 2.) If a citizen gets a bill from the IRS saying, "you owe X" the average person isn't going to risk fighting back with their own set of facts, and is possibly going to pay too much. Personally I don't share the anti-tax advocate's world view or opinions, but I understand the argument and especially understand the danger of argument #2. I'd still be in favor of this law though.