Saw Captain Ed discussing tax reform and why people are afraid to change the system. Now, as someone who supports the Fair Tax Initiative, I am also saddened by the common misconceptions about our tax system.
I think most people will agree that it is too complex to even comprehend. Hell, owning my own business makes it even harder, even though I’m an s corp. I have to pay out some of my hard earned money to try to get some of my hard earned money back, and there’s something sick about that.
Think of the amount of money spent trying to get your taxes done. Think of the effort. Consider the massive amount of tax money that is used simply trying to enforce the tax system. Just look at the fact that every penny you make from January 1st until May 31st this year goes to Uncle Sam. Are you really getting your money’s worth? Do you also realize that your employer matches your SS payments? That they pay employee taxes? If you wonder why you’re not getting a raise this year, you might want to check that out.
I am not about abolishing taxes. Taxes are important to keeping our society functioning. But when you have a system as complex as ours, it’s easy to circumvent and that places a heavier burden on those who the taxes are supposed to protect. A simplified system (such as Fair Tax or even a Flat Tax), while not perfect, is a lot better. Yes there are loopholes but since there are so few of them, monitoring them would be vastly cheaper. The first step isn’t cutting taxes rather simplifying the process of how we pay them. Once that system is exposed, I’m willing to be pork spending will start dwindling down as it becomes harder and harder to hide.
Sigh. Maybe some day my grandchildren will see a better system than what I have to deal with. Until then, I can only hope my fellow Americans will open their eyes and see what a joke the current system has become. Write to your congresscritters and senators. Keep the pressure on them to simplify the tax system. And if you feel like I do about taxation, make sure you let your friends and family know too so they can help.
Let’s make April 15th just another day.