Should we do away with the federal income tax?

The original income tax system established by the New Deal was necessary to provide federal support to thousands of Americans during the Great Depression. At the time of its institution, it greatly assisted in spurring the American economy out of the desperate times.

The prior 126 years of American history details a financial different picture than today's America. For one, the country was a lot smaller with few people. The great immigration boom did not occur into the earlier part of the 20th century. Governmental obligations were not as substantial as today's responsibility, and this is not just social programs. We could not raise enough money through tariffs, excise taxes, and property taxes, to overcome our current debt obligations. Furthermore, if this was the only form of tax, it would place a substantial burden on the middle class and imports. Considering our current export/import ratio, foreign importeres would simply have to cease distribution to stall the American economy.

I do however feel the system created by the New Deal has been bastardized into the current system, which is excessively in equal towards corporations and wealth Americans vs. middle/low income Americans. I believe the system could be streamlined at both the federal, state and local levels. Currently, although we do not pay high income tax (countries in Europe fair a lot worse) we pay additional taxes and government surcharges every day. Ex. total taxes and fees on your personal cellphone bill average approximately 24% - 28% over your usage charge.

Now, as to find ways to cut spending....yes, there are definitely areas in our budget to cut spending? will this get done?...only by the perservenence of the American people and the general understanding of what are taxes are paying for. The "pet projects" or massive government failures (thing Boston Big Dig) continually drain our economic resource, and when our governmental debt is so strangulating that we have to keep increasing our cap, we will never be able to recede our government spending to levels able to sustain our American People.

Some of the solutions presented: flat tax, purchase tax, etc, all sound equitable but each do have their own loop hole.

Personally, I would like to have a flat tax. I would like to at the beginning of each year write a check for a fixed amount of money to the government for a percentage of my forecasted earnings for the upcoming year and not have anything come out of my check for the rest of the year. But with this money that comes out, I would like programs which make sense - good education, good healthcare, good social security. Our children should not have to suffer, our elder should not want for anything and every American should be able to get quality healthcare/preventative maintenance to sustain life.

Yeah, they existed just fine because they didnt have all the socialist programs that the Democratic party loves to initiate. The Democratic Party should be re-named to the Socialist Party. Im fairly certain that FDR's "New Deal" solidified the permanent income tax.

Be happy though, in England, if you make over 40,000 a year, the income tax is literally 50%. Not to mention the 17.5% VAT (sales) tax on everything, and the appx $7 per gallon price on gasoline.

Yeah we could do away with income taxes but the government still needs to tax something to pay for itself. So it doesn't really matter to me if they take it as income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, etc.

Someone here blamed all the socialist programs on the Democrats. Republicans spend a hell of alot of money on stuff that could be done without. Look at our interstate system. Started by a Republican.

Yes! Absolutely.

There is a proposal called the Fair Tax, which taxes purchases. It makes more sense than the income tax, and eliminates all the socialist class warfare envy crap.

It not going to happen, because this is the only way for the Interal Revenue Service of the U.S.(or should I say the ETERNAL revenue)to survive. To do away with income tax is just like lopping their head off.

As a citizen as long as I have to pay tax to the federal government I feel that that tax is my voice, if we would stop paying Federal tax, they could impose whatever type of programs they need to brain wash our mind even more than they have already, they need to do away with local and state tax

The rich people and corporations need to pay taxes, they pay no taxes, how you say. Example below

An auto maker, their analyst say they will make and sell 300,000 cars and they will make $10,000,000.00 and the tax on that would be $3,000,000.00 so they add a % to the price of the car and you pay their tax

never happen...like death, it is a sure thing...politicians will never vote to seriously dent the cash that supports their pet programs that benefit their large contributors that get them elected.

Politicians are elected to make sure the cash and privileges keep coming to large contributors (their clients) if they vote against that they will be dumped and then they would need to get a real job....

Yeah, right, good luck with that.

http://www.abouttaxes.org/Federal-Income-Tax.php

ABSOLUTELY NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!