I understand the sentiment but disagree with the results because our taxes are too complicated and are collected in many ways that are not easily traced back to the individual paying them. I'll try my best to clarify what I mean by that.

Local taxes are mainly collected through property taxes, sales taxes and in some states income taxes. Corporations don't pay taxes - they just pass the tax along to their customers as part of the price of their goods and services - land lords don't pay property taxes, they just raise the rent to cover the cost of the taxes so the renters are the ones actually footing that bill.

Income taxes, what a can of worms that would be. Imagine the logistics required to figure out who pays taxes and who does not (example: if you pay taxes one year but then get a huge right-off the next year because of a business loss or something along those lines that could offset what you paid the previous year - which year's taxes would you count or do you take the average paid (or not paid)). Everyone with a job (legally speaking) should be paying SS and Medicare taxes. They get collected separately from income tax but when they get sent to the gov, they just lump them into the general fund.

Drive an internal combustion engine powered vehicle? You're paying fed and local gas tax built into the per gallon price. Drink adult beverages? Around 50% of their actual price is built in taxes.

The real issue is that our government is using the tax code to redistribute wealth to buy votes and create giant slush funds that corrupt pols can skim off of.

Simple solution: Limit the scope of government and fund it by a flat tax and sales taxes that are collected in a transparent way. Make laws that elected officials have to list all their sources of income into public record. Robust voter ID laws and purging the voter rolls of moved or deceased voters annually.

I understand the sentiment but disagree with the results because our taxes are too complicated and are collected in many ways that are not easily traced back to the individual paying them. I'll try my best to clarify what I mean by that.

Local taxes are mainly collected through property taxes, sales taxes and in some states income taxes. Corporations don't pay taxes - they just pass the tax along to their customers as part of the price of their goods and services - land lords don't pay property taxes, they just raise the rent to cover the cost of the taxes so the renters are the ones actually footing that bill.

Income taxes, what a can of worms that would be. Imagine the logistics required to figure out who pays taxes and who does not (example: if you pay taxes one year but then get a huge right-off the next year because of a business loss or something along those lines that could offset what you paid the previous year - which year's taxes would you count or do you take the average paid (or not paid)). Everyone with a job (legally speaking) should be paying SS and Medicare taxes. They get collected separately from income tax but when they get sent to the gov, they just lump them into the general fund.

Drive an internal combustion engine driven vehicle? You're paying fed and local gas tax built into the per gallon price. Drink adult beverages? Around 50% of their actual price is built in taxes.

The real issue is that our government is using the tax code to redistribute wealth to buy votes and create giant slush funds that corrupt pols can skim off of.

Simple solution: Limit the scope of government and fund it by a flat tax and sales taxes that are collected in a transparent way. Make laws that elected officials have to list all their sources of income into public record. Robust voter ID laws and purging the voter rolls of moved or deceased voters annually.

I understand the sentiment but disagree with the results because our taxes are too complicated and are collected in many ways that are not easily traced back to the individual paying them. I'll try my best to clarify what I mean by that.

Local taxes are mainly collected through property taxes, sales taxes and in some states income taxes. Corporations don't pay taxes - they just pass the tax along to their customers as part of the price of their goods and services - land lords don't pay property taxes, they just raise the rent to cover the cost of the taxes so the renters are the ones actually footing that bill.

Income taxes, what a can of worms that would be. Imagine the logistics required to figure out who pays taxes and who does not (example: if you pay taxes one year but then get a huge right-off the next year because of a business loss or something along those lines that could offset what you paid the previous year - which year's taxes would you count or do you take the average paid (or not paid)). Everyone with a job pays (legally speaking) should be paying SS and Medicare taxes. They get collected separately from income tax but when they get sent to the gov, they just lump them into the general fund.

Drive an internal combustion engine driven vehicle? You're paying fed and local gas tax built into the per gallon price. Drink adult beverages? Around 50% of their actual price is built in taxes.

The real issue is that our government is using the tax code to redistribute wealth to buy votes and create giant slush funds that corrupt pols can skim off of.

Simple solution: Limit the scope of government and fund it by a flat tax and sales taxes that are collected in a transparent way. Make laws that elected officials have to list all their sources of income into public record. Robust voter ID laws and purging the voter rolls of moved or deceased voters annually.

I understand the sentiment but disagree with the results because our taxes are too complicated and are collected in many ways that are not easily traced back to the individual paying them. I'll try my best to clarify what I mean by that.

Local taxes are mainly collected through property taxes, sales taxes and in some states income taxes. Corporations don't pay taxes - they just pass the tax along to their customers as part of the price of their goods and services - land lords don't pay property taxes, they just raise the rent to cover the cost of the taxes so the renters are the ones actually footing that bill.

Income taxes, what a can of worms that would be. Imagine the logistics required to figure out who pays taxes and who does not (example: if you pay taxes one year but then get a huge right-off the next year because of a business loss or something along those lines that could offset what you paid the previous year - which year's taxes would you count or do you take the average paid (or not paid)). Everyone with a job pays (legally speaking) should be paying SS and Medicare taxes. They get collected separately from income tax but when they get sent to the gov, they just lump them into the general fund.

Drives an internal combustion engine driven vehicle? Your paying fed and local gas tax built into the per gallon price. Drink adult beverages? Around 50% of their actual price is built in taxes.

The real issue is that our government is using the tax code to redistribute wealth to buy votes and create giant slush funds that corrupt pols can skim off of.

Simple solution: Limit the scope of government and fund it by a flat tax and sales taxes that are collected in a transparent way. Make laws that elected officials have to list all their sources of income into public record. Robust voter ID laws and purging the voter rolls of moved or deceased voters annually.