"Matt Whiting" wrote in message
...
Andrew Gideon wrote:

Matt Barrow wrote:



I can't find the source now, but I
recently saw a summary of how much money is spent simply related to
collection income taxes. This included the cost of the IRS, and all
tax
preparation services such as H&R Block, tax software, tax attorneys,
CPAs, etc. The number of people and amount of money spent simply
counting and collecting taxes (and trying to avoid the same) was simply
staggering.


But how much of this is solvable not by eliminating the taxation
process,
but by (honestly, this time) simplifying it. In this day of automation,
the state of tax preparation is incredible to the point of offense. I
would not tolerate this in a vendor from whom I was purchasing by
choice.

Yes, a flat income, sales or VAT tax could certainly eliminate much of
the government bureaucracy.

Yes, for the first two, No, for the VAT. Also, a VAT is the most easily
hidden and abused. It also penalizes productivity.