Why not have a flat tax system and let Americans choose between enrolling in it or staying in the current one?

Question

I understand why many bureaucrats (and uninformed Americans) would not want a flat tax system. However, for those who understand exactly why this is a better system for tax reporting & collection, why not at least create the system and provide the option to Americans? I know what's best for me financially, then the US government does. So why not afford me the opportunity to choose how I pay my taxes, when I know how my tax situation best benefits me? If other tax-paying citizens wish to allow the IRS to gobble up ever-increasing percentages of their incomes, then they can continue with the currently super complicated, exemption-burdened, unfavorable and convoluted tax code, while others may opt into the flat tax system.

the government still collects its taxes and the American people remain a people of choice...with better options to grow wealth and no longer be slaves to an uncompromising tax master.

Answer 1

Not in a thousand years would the corporate world allow that to happen. It's a marvellous suggestion, BTW.

Answer 2

If you are not careful, you will be advocating Democracy next, and where would the country be then?

Answer 3

The democrats and republicans are both owned by the rich elites and the corporations. America will never have a fair tax system with them in power.

We simply need a constitutional amendment limiting how much in total all the various governments can steal from us in licenses, taxes, fees, and fines.

Or make all taxes completely voluntary. And give us how much government we are actually willing to pay for.

Answer 4

I'd prefer even more choices; such as opting out altogether.

Nice idea but the tax system has to be the same for everyone.

Answer 5

There's the obvious answer, that if people could write their own tax code, they'd opt to pay nothing. And we obviously need to fund some government functions. Had your garbage picked up lately? Driven on roads?

Philosophically, we come to another issue. A tax code is, in essense, a policy statement. We reward certain actions and discourage others through taxation. Capital gains are taxed at a lower rate than income. Is that right and fair? Should housing deductions be limited to one house per household, thus hurting the construction industry? On a practical level, I doubt that representatives would want to give up the authority to write those laws.

The tax code has become absurdly large and obviously needs to be simplified, but I don't think a flat tax is necessarily the answer.

Answer 6

The whole point of the existing tax system is that those who can afford to pay more, pay more.

The main proponents of a flat tax system are the super-rich who are angling for a big tax cut. Americans on low to middle incomes would actually be rendered far WORSE off by a flat tax system.