Cosponsors Seniors Tax Simplification Act

Washington, D.C. –Congressman Vern Buchanan (FL-13) called on Tax Day today for tax reform to ease the burden on taxpayers and simplify our tax code, which has grown to over 71,600 pages.

“Millions of Americans are frustrated by a tax code that is too long, too complicated and too punishing,” said Buchanan. “It’s so complex that even the IRS commissioner doesn’t prepare his own taxes. It’s time to ease the burden on taxpayers and simplify our tax system.”

The IRS says the average person spends 21.4 hours to fill out the forms. A recent USA Today editorial lampooned the complexity by noting that the instruction booklet for Apple’s new ipad is one page, while the instruction booklet for this year’s IRS 1040 long form is 172 pages.

“We need to return to the days when government worked for you,” said the two-term lawmaker. “I firmly believe one way to achieve this goal would be to fix our tax code so it isn’t too burdensome and complex.”

Buchanan said the “Seniors Tax Simplification Act” is a step in that direction. The Congressman cosponsored the bill to allow seniors to file their taxes on a new simplified form. The IRS estimates that as many as 11 million seniors could benefit from a simplified tax form in the first year it is made available.

“A simple one page IRS form for American seniors should be enacted immediately,” said Buchanan. “This legislation is a common-sense way to protect our seniors, lower costs to taxpayers, and reduce bureaucracy in the federal government.”

The new form would be designed to help senior taxpayers report the most common sources of income, such as Social Security benefits, pension benefits, annuities or other deferred payment arrangements, interest and dividends, and capital gains and losses. By 2030, the federal government predicts 20 percent of the U.S. population will be over age 65.

Buchanan also warned against more job killing tax increases such as those contained in the new health care law, “Cap and Trade” legislation and the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts set to expire at the end of this year.

“Congress needs to pass sensible tax laws to help struggling Americans and create jobs,” said the Congressman.