Tuesday, April 17, 2012         

Isakson Calls for Simpler Tax System, Lower Tax Burden
Pushes to Enact Fair Tax, Repeal Death Tax

WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., today called on Congress to enact a fairer, simpler tax system at a tax-day rally on Capitol Hill. Isakson has co-sponsored legislation to repeal the tax code and to establish a national sales tax during every session of Congress since being elected to the U.S. Senate.

Isakson was joined at the tax-day rally by Sen. Saxby Chambliss, R-Ga.; Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga.; Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga.; Rep. Steve King, R-Iowa; Rep. Phil Gingrey, R-Ga.; Todd McCracken, president of the National Small Business Association; Duane Parde, president of the National Taxpayers Union; and other supporters of the Fair Tax Act.

“Every American who filed their tax return today was likely reminded that tax simplification is long overdue. Not only is our current tax code burdensome to families, it is a large drain on America’s small businesses. According to the National Federation of Independent Business, small businesses spend between 1.7 billion and 1.8 billion hours a year on tax compliance with a total estimated cost of between $15 billion and $16 billion annually,” said Isakson. “At the same time, our current tax code punishes productivity instead of taxing discretionary spending—that’s why we need the Fair Tax. It’s time that we simplify our tax code, clean it up, and create a more simple way to pay your fair share, and the solution is the Fair Tax.”

Isakson is a co-sponsor of S.13, the Fair Tax Act, which would shift the federal government’s method of revenue collection from income to personal consumption. The legislation would repeal all federal personal income taxes, corporate income taxes, payroll taxes, self-employment taxes, capital gains taxes and gift and estate taxes, and replace those with a revenue-neutral, personal consumption tax on all retail sales of new goods and services
Isakson has also co-sponsored the Repeal Permanency Act, S. 2242, which was introduced by Sen. John Thune, R-S.D., last month. The bill would permanently repeal the federal estate tax and the “generation skipping transfer” tax, make permanent the maximum 35 percent gift tax rate and a $5 million lifetime gift tax exemption, and maintain the stepped-up basis provisions important to family farms.

Isakson has a long history of fighting to bring tax relief to American families and small businesses. In addition to co-sponsoring the Fair Tax Act and the Repeal Permanency Act, Isakson has introduced legislation to repeal the U.S. tax code and to force Congress to vote to reauthorize it or replace it with a new system.