Filing an income tax return is such a drag! I seriously doubt if there is one person in this country who fully understands our tax code and laws. They sure do not follow the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) strategy when it comes to this nefarious practice.
I say that we should abolish April 15th and the IRS along with it. Understanding that the country needs to create revenue in order to operate, I propose a federal sales tax on goods.
Now hear me out on this.
Your paycheck becomes yours, meaning you no longer have a federal deduction taken out. Let's say you have $300 per pay period being deducted for Federal tax. You keep that and your take home pay increases by $300. You now have $300 extra dollars to spend that you were previously giving to Uncle Sam.
Now, if you purchase something you pay a sales tax to the Feds. Let's even put the tax at 10 cents on the dollar. So what? You have $300 per pay period to spend and what's 10 cents on the dollar -- nothing really. You can either buy something or you can save it. The choice is yours.
The cool thing about this idea is that everyone would have to pay taxes -- drug dealers, prostitutes, people who work under the table, illegal immigrants -- no one is exempt, everyone pays. If you buy a yacht, you pay. If you buy a pencil, you pay. No more tax loops, no more hidden money offshore and no more bitching that so and so does not pay taxes.
I would give an exemption to retired senior citizens who make less than 50K per year. Give them a Social Security card they can swipe at the register and the tax disappears from their bill of sale. They have paid enough. Let them keep their paltry Social Security and not hassle with April 15th filings! Also, let these people keep their 401K and IRA money. Why in the hell is the government placing penalties on retirees' savings if they need to spend it in their aging years? That is ludicrous. (Actually it is vulgar). Food, housing, prescriptions and basic services would also be exempt.
We would be putting more money into the pockets of Americans who can either save it or spend it. I reckon that with more cash folks would probably buy a few more things. Might get this economy rocking and rolling again. The banks might benefit from those who save. God knows people would benefit from not having to process this ridiculous paperwork every year. I bet the government would end up collecting more revenue as well because remember those who don't pay in our current system would now be contributing.
There would definitely be a fight from the tax preparation industry and probably those consultants who sell people plans to reduce their tax burden. That's okay. Remember all those manufacturing jobs that went overseas? Those folks had to find a new industry to work in, right? Don't see why these tax wizards can't do the same thing. We could really use some math teachers in this country. They'd probably be really good at that. I know that sounds rather insensitive, but oh well! We've all been through it. I'd rather have simple than worry about some MBA's job in showing folks how to cheat. I'm just feeling a little unforgiving of the financial industry at this point.
It doesn't have to be difficult to render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and we wouldn't have to put ourselves at the mercy of the flippin' tax code. I am sure it is much too simple though for the blockheads in Washington to get it.
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