A source passed along a “Dear Colleague” letter from Rep. Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), who proposes “terminating” the tax code and calling on a future Congress to write a new one.
“I will re-introduce legislation that will terminate our broken tax code,” Goodlatte writes. “The Tax Code Termination Act will accomplish two goals. It will abolish the Internal Revenue Code by December 31, 2015, and call on Congress to approve a new federal tax system by July of the same year.”
So what happens if there’s no consensus on tax reform by the end of 2015?
“Although many questions remain about the best way to reform our tax system, I am certain that if Congress is forced to address the issue we can create a tax code that is simpler, fairer, and better for our economy than the one we are forced to comply with today,” Goodlatte adds. “Congress won’t reach a consensus on such a contentious issue unless it is forced to do so.”
You can read the entire letter below. And while there are undoubtedly many similar letters floating around Capitol Hill right now, most of which will spur little legislation action, taken together they demonstrate just how dramatically the agenda changed after the Dems lost the House.
Dear Colleague:
It has become abundantly clear that the tax code is no longer working in a fair manner for our nation’s citizens. Many Americans look at the dim state of our economy, and the billions of their tax dollars that are being given to private businesses and they want to know why they cannot keep more of their hard earned tax dollars. The tax code Americans are forced to comply with is unfair, discourages savings and investment, and is impossibly complex. It has become all too clear that the current code is broken beyond repair and cannot be fixed so we must start over. For this reason, I am reintroducing the Tax Code Termination Act.
I will re-introduce legislation that will terminate our broken tax code. The Tax Code Termination Act will accomplish two goals. It will abolish the Internal Revenue Code by December 31, 2015, and call on Congress to approve a new federal tax system by July of the same year.
This legislation has gained wide support and in the 111th Congress the legislation had the support of 116 bipartisan co-sponsors. In fact, similar legislation has already been passed twice by the House of Representatives, first in 1998 and then in 2000. We must show the American people that Congress is serious about fundamental tax reform, and once again urge passage of this important legislation.
Although many questions remain about the best way to reform our tax system, I am certain that if Congress is forced to address the issue we can create a tax code that is simpler, fairer, and better for our economy than the one we are forced to comply with today. Congress won’t reach a consensus on such a contentious issue unless it is forced to do so. The Tax Code Termination Act will force Congress to finally debate and address fundamental tax reform.
I hope you will join me in supporting this legislation and putting an end to the broken tax system that exists in our country. If you have any questions or would like to cosponsor, please contact Carrie Meadows in my office….
Sincerely,
/s
Bob Goodlatte
Member of Congress
