Fair Not Flat: How to Make the Tax System Better and Simpler

Description

Everyone knows that the current tax system is unfair. Some of the richest people in America pay no tax, while a huge share of the tax burden falls on the rest of us. A mere glance at the tax code confirms that it is far too complex, with volumes of rules that no ordinary person could possibly comprehend. What is to be done? Some conservatives have called for a so-called flat tax. But a flat tax is not necessarily a simple tax, and "flat" means "more" for most taxpayers: a rise in middle-class taxes to finance tax cuts for the rich. Is there another choice? In clear, easy-to-understand language.;Contents; List of Tables and Figures; Acknowledgments; Introduction: Time for a Change; 1 Tax Basics; 2 The Trouble with the Income Tax; 3 The Case for a Spending Tax; 4 Death to Death Taxes; 5 Progressivity Can Live; 6 The Fair Not Flat Tax; Conclusion: Toward Class Teamwork, Not Class Conflict; Questions and Comments about the Fair not Flat Tax; Glossary of Key Terms; Further Reading; Index.