4 ms·
IRS budget cuts seem to be thrown around a lot, but to me this is just a symptom of the real problem -- a tax code that is way too complex. Years of congress pa
by ptero 7y ago
IRS budget cuts seem to be thrown around a lot, but to me this is just a symptom of the real problem -- a tax code that is way too complex. Years of congress pandering to special interests, fixing minor issues with pages of new tax rules and no implementation accountability (implementation and enforcement is dumped on IRS) brought US tax code to a state that can overwhelm any staffing levels.
Simplifying tax code will go much further than trying to staff up IRS. My 2c.
- jorblumesea 7y agoThe reason the IRS's budget is being slashed is the same as why the tax code is complex. Political elites, corporations and those who truly call the shots want less transparency of their finances, not more. Complicated tax codes and no one to audit them greatly benefit the wealthy. There's clearly a strong vested interest in this country of using the government as tool to enrich oneself as the expense of society.
- asciident 7y agoSimplifying would be great, but it's not really possible to do because you won't get the exactly same tax distribution with a simplified set of rules. So politicians will frame it as "why do you want to raise taxes on single moms?" and "why are you taking away the deduction for teachers?" and "this bill hurts vulnerable people who have been hit by natural disasters." So any suggestion to simplify the tax code is a no go.
- humanrebar 7y agoSeems like it should be possible to make a credible disparate impact case in response.
- SkyBelow 7y agoIt feels like voters are voting for pouring lighter fuel on the wood and throwing lit matches at the wood but vote strongly against having a bonfire. They want politicians to fix problems that they wanted the politicians to create and then don't want the actual fixes to the problems they want fixed.
- fooey 7y agoEveryone is selfish Everyone wants to lower their own taxes by raising everyone else's taxes. 100 people in a room will have 100 different way to change the tax system, and every proposal will have 99 votes against it.
- sgift 7y agoThere's a reason business owners fear unions: They understand fully well that the wide majority of people have a different interest than them and if that majority are allowed to come together and realize that they will ask for things benefiting the majority to the detriment of the minority. Same with elections. Hence the age old strategy of divide and conquer.
- microcolonel 7y agoIt would probably work in a time where the marginal rates are too high to begin with. If we get a Democrat in the white house in 2020, then 2024 or 2028 may be the year of tax code simplification. ;- )
- deleted 7y ago[deleted]