Is an income tax an inherently unfair and corrupt approach?

Given the size, scope, intrusiveness and uncertainty of the income tax codes should the COTUS be amended to restore the prohibition against an income tax system?

 

Repeal the 16th amendment?
An income tax system, or for that matter any forms of taxation at the State/local levels of governments should be based on what services the people demand be provided with full knowledge that they will have to be taxed sufficiently to pay for what they demand in addition to paying their share of funding the operations that they (the people through their representatives, not BY their representatives) have recognized and accepted as being what ONLY the Federal government can provide. There should be no Federally mandated wealth redistribution between States.

Probably have to repeal the 17th amendment to give the State governments a voice in the Federal government once again too.

 

Good points. Politically impossible - of course.

Would probably be politically feasible to eliminate ineffective programs and agencies with a platform calling for refunding all the money saved.

In effect, diverting a large part of the Nile of collected revenue to flow back to the tax payers would be very popular. Irresistible?

 

Income tax is theft, it should be abolished.

 

Yes, and it was abolished by the COTUS.

 

The income tax is an abomination to freedom. A simple, transparent sales tax reflects a fair free country. Our tax code is criminal.

 

It was always thought to be a corrupt approach until we got a Progressive President. Taxing income is basically taxing labor, your labor, making you work for free for the Government. I call it fractional slavery.

 

Now it is being used to persecute political targets.

 

The tax code is the "big (*)(*)(*)(*)ing stick" that government uses to intimidate, punish, and extort it's political enemies, and The People. It represents a LOT of power for our elected officials. And for that reason, we will likely never see any sort of meaningful reform, at least until we can rout the old-school, career politicians. These corrupt politicians never give up power, once they have taken it from us.

 

I agree. Nevertheless, I would not waste much time trying to abolish the IRS now.

I would like to see populist politicians stand for Cuts and Refunds. The prospect of Big Refund Checks would generate massive political support instantly.

Probably the ultimate check on Big Government. All the existing checks and balances have clearly failed.

 

The best solution, in my opinion, is a consumption tax that includes a cost of living exemption.

 

Politicians will just add it to the income tax. A new tax system will require amending the COTUS.

Easier to pass legislation fast to cut the government and give back a lot of the revenue.

People of all persuasions will vote for that.

 

Besides all of the valid points given above, the income tax is a huge violation of my privacy. I'm all for repealing the 16th and 17th Amendments.

My idea is to eliminate all interaction between individuals and the federal government. (SS is for another discussion) The federal government can receive income from the states, who will pay according to their population. This will force the feds to live within a budget and their power will not be wielded so heavily against a state as it is against defenseless individuals. States can use whatever taxes they want to pay our taxes to the federal government. It's time the 10th Amendment was respected.

 

A simple, transparent, retroactive sales tax based on the value of the yesterday's purchase in today's market, adjusted for the sales tax paid at the time of purchase, would reflect a fair free country. Iow, a wealth tax. Can't just institute a sales tax when all the good stuff has already been bought.

 

Yes you can. Any new tax system will have to be simple and for the purpose of funding valid, reasonable government programs. The tax system is not a vehicle for wealth redistribution or any other social tampering. That's the problem with it now. The IRS is used to target particular political views and/or financial success.

 

As I see just about all tax systems, they have always been a vehicle for the wealthy to place the burden of funding the government on the working group. The established large estates go untouched for as long as the country exists.

 

I would prefer replacing the income tax with a different tax system. However, that tax system would need to be just as efficient and generate just as much revenue as the income tax. It would also, to garner my support, need to be progressive in nature. However, the current replacements proposed (from both sides of the aisle) are frankly a joke. So, my answer is no. For now.

 

Progressive tax systems are generally destructive and unfair. The rich avoid them. The middle class is crippled by them.

 

Well, that would be nice, but a better thing, as ndividual says would be to get rid of the 17th amendment. Have the Senators chosen by the legislatures rather than by popular vote. It would turn the Senate back into a voice for the states, instead of just being another voice for the people.

 

A very good idea. I would guess that most state legislators would support that.

 

Exactly.

 

Excellent observation. It's like climbing a ladder where the middle rungs get further and further apart, while many of the rungs are sliding downward and an occasional rung near the top moves upward.

 

I am less bothered by income tax than I am the invisible and inescapable effective tax that happens when the government undertakes policies to continue to devalue the dollar as a way of managing the debt.

 

Thank you, and it would help if it was made illegal for someone outside of a congressional district or State to become involved in political campaigns where they are not entitled to vote.
Repeal of both the 16th and the 17th amendments along with return to the States all Federal programs funded by redistribution would greatly reduce the Federal budget, and representatives of the people and the States would then be held responsible for any Federal spending which would have effect on their share of taxes being raised. And as you say the 10th amendment is what truly gives the people a say over the Federal government. Of course we would still have to contend with activists in our Supreme court. It's time government, especially the Federal but also State, and local, became fearful of and respect the wishes of the people who employ and pay them, and ultimately should be defining what their function is.

 

If the GOP proposed to give 3/4 of revenue saved from some very large budget cuts back to the tax payers they might gain enough credibility to elect a president and manage the debt.

Zero chance of that. The RNC will endorse HRC first.