[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 39 (Thursday, April 11, 2002)]
[House]
[Page H1204]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         FUNDAMENTAL TAX REFORM

  (Mr. LINDER asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. LINDER. Mr. Speaker, today is the last legislative day before the 
glorious tax day on Monday when all Americans happily come together for 
the good of their country. Let me state some facts about the tax 
system.
  Americans will collectively spend 6 billion hours complying with the 
Tax Code, which is not surprising, since the most basic tax form, the 
1040 EZ, has 32 pages of instructions. Tax compliance costs estimated 
at approximately $250 billion a year will be $900 for every man, woman, 
and child in America.
  The IRS will receive 100 million phone calls for assistance and the 
answers that they give when you get through are wrong 47 percent of the 
time. There are five different definitions of a child in Federal tax 
law with 200 pages of instructions interpreting those definitions. One 
dollar's worth of gasoline includes 48 cents in taxes. A $1.14 loaf of 
bread reflects 35 cents in taxes. Eighteen cents of a 50-cent can of 
soda goes to taxes. A $153 utility bill consists of approximately $39 
in taxes.
  Mr. Speaker, in a recent poll Americans were more afraid of receiving 
an IRS audit notice than anthrax. It is time to end the code.

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