IRS Commissioner John Koskinen told lawmakers on Wednesday that implementing a flat tax would be simpler than the current tax system and would save the agency a lot of money.
At a hearing of the House Small Business Committee, Koskinen urged lawmakers to approve President Obama’s 2017 budget for the IRS, which increases funding for the agency.
“The IRS’s funding was cut significantly for the five years from 2011 to 2015, and those reductions have taken a toll on both taxpayer service and enforcement programs,” the commissioner said. “I continue to urge Congress to approve the president’s fiscal year 2017 budget for the IRS, which requests a base increase of $530 million over the fiscal year 2016 enacted level.”
Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer (R., Mo.) asked Koskinen whether a flat tax policy would save the agency money.
“There’s a lot of discussion with regards to the flat tax,” Luetkemeyer said. “I realize that is a policy decision, but from the standpoint of the IRS being able to implement a flat tax, how much would it save you from people being hired and the money being expended because of the simplification of that?”
“Would you estimate that would help your budget problem here that we keep addressing?” the congressman asked.
“I don’t think I have a number for you but clearly if you had a two-page form or a one-page form where you got rid of all the deductions and everything else and people just paid in effect either a flat tax or a graduated flat tax it would be simpler for taxpayers and it would be much simpler for us,” Koskinen said.
More
DelMarVa's Premier Source for News, Opinion, Analysis, and Human Interest Contact Publisher Joe Albero at alberobutzo@wmconnect.com or 410-430-5349
Won't happen, simply makes too much sense.
ReplyDeletePart of that plan is also to abolish the IRS. Like most people in DC who never read things in their entirety, he doesn't seem to understand he just told America to FIRE him. Love the DC Rule.
ReplyDeleteWell Steve Forbes first promoted this idea 20 some years ago during the presidential primaries but no one listed to him then and no one is listening now.
ReplyDeleteNever trust a word John Kookiness says. He is the lowest form of life, and only wants to grab on to the "flat tax" is because he has formulated a new way to screw us all to the wall while packing his and his cronies pants with billions in cash.
ReplyDeleteYes, a flat tax may be a good idea, but not one invented by this crook.