Latham Report: Taxpayers Deserve Fairer, Simpler Tax Code

Statement

By Iowa Congressman Tom Latham

Millions of hardworking Americans have filed their tax returns with the IRS these past few days prior to Tax Day, handing over more of their hard-earned money to a Washington that seems to have lost all respect for the value of their tax dollars. The developing scandal at the Government Services Administration (GSA) provides us all the evidence we need that too many federal officials have no interest in providing a more effective and more efficient government. This week is a reminder that hardworking taxpayers deserve a simpler, flatter, fairer and easier tax system that protects hardworking Americans and promotes individual economic security for everyone.

No one can be faulted for being less than eager to file a tax return this year as we learn more about the sickening culture of mismanagement and contempt for the taxpayer at GSA. An inspector general's report detailed the lavish excesses of an $820,000 GSA conference in Las Vegas in 2010 that included attractions such as clowns and mind-readers. GSA also faces accusations that it violated its employee gift limit by handing out iPods, digital cameras and other electronics to employees on the taxpayers' dime. Videos have surfaced showing GSA employees mocking taxpayer oversight of their operations.

This behavior is an outrage and an affront to every American who has ever had to fill out a tax form. It further erodes the already fragile confidence the American people have in their own government. This week, as millions of Americans file their taxes, they'll be asking themselves some gnawing questions: Can we really trust Washington to spend our tax dollars wisely? Or will it just fund more waste, like the kind we're seeing at GSA?

That's why I've focused my legislative work on a commitment to delivering a more efficient government that spends less, serves better and respects the taxpayer's dollar. The current tax code is too burdensome and confusing. To illustrate this point, consider the following facts: The instructions simply to fill out the standard 1040 form stretch on for 189 pages this year! The government has made 4,428 changes to the tax code in the last decade, which averages out to more than one change a day. The current tax code rambles on for a staggering 3.8 million words, or four times the length of the complete works of William Shakespeare. How can anyone be expected to keep up with this ever-changing mountain of code?

I've voted to implement a new tax system that's flatter, fairer and simpler for American families, farmers and businesses. It would close special-interest loopholes and lower overall rates to encourage job growth. I've also introduced legislation known as the LESS Government Act, which would force virtually every corner of the federal government to systematically implement proven efficiency measures to crack down on waste, fraud and abuse and report the results to Congress every year. The legislation, if fully implemented, would have caught and corrected the problems at GSA much sooner.

American taxpayers spend hundreds of billions of dollars every year to comply with our country's monstrous tax code. At the same time, the shocking mismanagement of some federal bureaucrats undermines the taxpayers' confidence that their hard-earned dollars are being spent appropriately. That's unacceptable. Hardworking taxpayers have sacrificed enough. It's time to end wasteful spending in Washington.

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