What if we eliminated the IRS?
By Troublegum
@Troublegum (641)
United States
January 23, 2009 1:50pm CST
Ok so as a small business owner I spend a lot of time (read lost productivity) calculating taxes for myself, my business, and my employees. I file more paperwork than I care to tabulate. Larger companies have entire departments dedicated to figuring out tax code and filing the paper work. All of this paperwork goes to a government agency filled with people whos only job is to double check and process all the work that was done at the companies.
What does all this produce? Nothing.
It is a very complex process by which money is transfered from people to their government.
I recently got audited because they thought I miscalculated something (a difference of a couple hundred dollars) Turns out I had filed it correctly, they just weren't looking at my full tax return because they had filed my actual tax return somewhere and were just looking at a skeleton of it. They told me it would cost them more to pull my actual tax return than the amount that was in question, so if I would kindly resubmit my taxes they could look at them. I resubmitted my taxes and they were right, and after a long drawn out process the whole thing went away. My problem was that even if I had been wrong and had sent them a check, it would have cost them more to get that check out of me that the amount of the check.
So, my question is this, what if we actually went to a flat sales tax? Surely it would put all of the tax preparers out of business, put almost everyone in the IRS out of business, and do a number on lawyer, but would it be worth it?
1 person likes this
3 responses
@Tony78 (89)
• United States
28 Jan 09
As I stated on a post a just started I strogly support the Fairtax Plan, it would eliminate the IRS and institute a national sales tax. I don't like the flat tax idea either, I think a consumption tax would be far superior. You should read the book The Fairtax Plan, by Neal Boortz and Georgia Representative John Lindner, it is very informative.
@Tony78 (89)
• United States
28 Jan 09
Also, yes it would be worth all of the lost jobs, as the increase in our economy would better allow them and other unemployed people to find new jobs. If we suddenly found an alternative to oil and gas that we could start using tomorrow, it would save our country billions that it now send to countries that want to destroy us. Many Americans would lose their jobs, but it would be a good thing for the overall economy of our nation.
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
23 Jan 09
A number of candidates supported a version of this, including the guy I voted for, Chuck Baldwin. Others that supported it were Ron Paul, Mike huckabe, Bobb Barr, Cynthia Green. Some had a consumption tax of sorts. You would still need an authority or body to run the system, but it wouldn't be anything like the gigantic bohemouth jack booted mafia we have runnig the revenue system right now.