“Nothing is certain except death and taxes.” Benjamin Franklin
Assuming that Ben was right and taxes will always be with us, we should actually pay them. As it stands, most Americans think there is a second Christmas every year in April when they get a tax return. What they are actually celebrating is the government returning the money to American workers that they have “borrowed” interest free all year.
I propose eliminating tax withholdings. This would show people what they are actually paying in taxes, rather than fooling them into thinking that the government is giving them money every year. How many people would be more involved in October, when Congress is unable to pass a budget again, after paying $12,000 in income tax a few months prior? We would see some actual accountability.
This proposal does not change the tax structure in any way. Those changes need to happen, but this single issue proposal just prevents the government from hiding what your tax bill really is.