The Income Tax Code

I am a programmer by nature. It's what I do and how I'm wired. I think in terms of if...then..else statements. I believe things should be logical and concise.

The goal of our tax system is to generate funds for our federal government to operate.

Our modern day tax code is so full of if..then..else statements that it makes no sense. In the simplest terms, If you earn x then you pay y.

Lets get a bit more complex, shall we?

IF you earn X then
IF are married then
IF you have kids then
IF you own property

You get yourself into the bonus rounds with many deductions when you own a house.

This concept of the 'if statement' in the federal tax code is nothing more than to control our behavior by rewarding us citizens with candy when we do something socially acceptable like getting married, having kids and buying a home. the tax code punishes us when we do something socially unacceptable like earn too much.

Unfortunately, both parties have bought into this tax code philosophy so neither party is interested in reforming the tax code. Both parties sees the tax code as candy to give away to buy votes. There is no wonder why there are so many lobbyist crawling around DC representing some group of people wanting more candy for themselves.

What we need is a tax code that has exactly 2 things congress can control. The interest rate and the standard deduction. That's it. No other deductions and no if statements.

Here is how it works: congress sets the standard interest rate based upon what congress feels they need to spend in the following year. For this example, let's say 25%. The standard household income deduction sets a level below which you don't pay any taxes. Simple to calculate, and simple to understand.

This is similar to Steve Forbe's Flat Tax idea. It was a great idea then, and it still is now.

A question you may have: 'Well what about deductions for children'? Answer: Having children is a life decision and shouldn't be taken lightly. It is your choice to have kids and you need to factor into your thinking if you can afford to have kids or not. It is not FEDGOV place to help or hinder in any way. The same goes for buying a house or any other issue you may have.

If you want these deductions, go to your State governments and lobby them for your candy. It should not be a FEDGOV issue.

The ramifications of this proposal is far reaching. It will cost us citizens virtually nothing to figure out how much we owe. The IRS will shrivel down to a team of about 5000 employees overseeing the computer operations of the simple process. Accountants and lawyers will hate this as their cottage industry will dry up, but I'm sure they'll will find other things to do. It would remove power from And most importantly, it will free us citizens from the overbearing weight of FEDGOv's attempt to control our behavior thus unleashing the power of our capital to build a truly great society in the manner We the People would envision rather than the Utopia that Politicians would force down our throats.