Tax truths

If you went to a Tea Party on Wednesday, you think your taxes are too high. You are right, but nothing about taxes is simple:

1) Most of us are OK with paying taxes for things we like (i.e., the military, Social Security) but not things we don’t like (i.e., the military, Social Security).

Understandable, but unworkable. If you live a complex society like ours, you usually get the good with the bad.

2) We hate sharpies who take advantage of “loopholes” to pay less taxes.

Sorry, if it’s in the tax code, it’s not a loophole. It’s a legal way to reduce someone’s tax bill, even if you think it’s unfair.

3) Most of us want lower taxes and more government services.

Again, not logical. One funds the other.

… I don’t know what the answer is either. My best guess is that a flat tax (about 15 percent) that exempts the first $10,000 of income would be fairest.

As time goes by, Congress could adjust the tax rate and the starting point for taxable income up or down to make the system equitable.

Finally, I’d wipe out every deduction except a few obvious ones, like for dependents or hurricane damage.

Of course, that’s a fairly simple and straightforward tax system, so of course it will come about the day folks in hell get frostbite.