[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 38 (Wednesday, April 10, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H1161]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                     TIME TO THROW OUT THE TAX CODE

  (Mr. LINDER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute.)
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, Monday is April 15; and the American people 
will genuflect before the altar of their government and hand over 
everything they have earned for the past year and, in so doing, pay out 
of their pockets just to comply with this code.
  Last year, the American people spent $250 billion just in compliance 
costs with this complicated code. That is a 15 percent surtax on the 
tax that we pay. For small business, which creates most of the jobs in 
this country, they will pay $724 just to comply with the code, collect 
and remit $100 in taxes.
  Mr. Speaker, this system is broken and cannot be fixed. To those who 
think we can have a flat tax on incomes, I say we did that once, 1913, 
and look what we have got.
  Mr. Speaker, it is time to throw out this Tax Code, start over, let 
people keep what they earn and pay on what they spend and let every 
American become a voluntary taxpayer once and for all.

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