Simplify the Tax Code

If you have friends or neighbors who are accountants, you may have noticed they are burning the midnight oil right now. It's tax season and many Americans are gathering paperwork and looking for receipts. The tax code has ballooned into a monster that is four times longer than the complete works of William Shakespeare.

I've never understood why we need a tax code that is so complex you have to hire someone else just to understand it. We desperately need tax reform to simplify a massive tax code. Hard-working Americans spend too much money and time filling out government forms just to pay their taxes.

The best way to reform the tax code is not to nibble around the edges. We should rip up the old code and start over with a blank piece of paper. There is no shortage of ideas on how to create a better code. Currently, there are bills in Congress for a Fair Tax and a Flat Tax. There are other ideas too that deserve a look.

I believe Congress should flatten the tax code by ending special deductions. This simplification would also broaden the tax base to include everyone - even the underground economy that escapes taxation today. This would help lower the tax burden while giving the government more money to operate.

What is clear is that almost no one thinks the code we have now makes sense. We need a tax code that is simple, fair and promotes economic growth.

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