(Washington, D.C.)  As thousands of people in Eastern Washington finish filing their 2006 income taxes, Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers recognized Tax Day 2007 as a reminder of the need to make the tax cuts permanent. According to the IRS, the average person this year will get back a larger tax refund than in 2006. However, this tax relief is in jeopardy due to the Democrat’s proposed 2008 budget, which allows all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts to expire.

“This year, the people of Eastern Washington are once again experiencing the benefits of the tax cuts,” said McMorris Rodgers. “Parents, married couples, students, teachers, seniors and small businesses are all paying less this year. Washington state residents are paying fewer taxes because of the ability to deduct their state sales tax. But if Congress fails to act and chooses to let these tax cuts expire, people across Eastern Washington will see their taxes increase.”

The 2001 and 2003 tax cuts have provided tax relief to over 2,385,000 Washington state residents. Yet if these tax cuts were to expire, the average person in Washington state would pay $3,065 more in taxes, the 12th largest increase in the country.

“Tax season is also a reminder of how our tax code is too long and complex,” continued McMorris Rodgers. “The federal income tax code should be rewritten in a form that makes sense to the average American so it is easier to file taxes and claim appropriate deductions and tax credits.”

That is why McMorris Rodgers co-sponsored the Tax Code Elimination Act which states that the federal tax system should be a simple and fair system that: applies a low rate to all Americans; provides tax relief for working Americans; protects the rights of taxpayers and reduces tax collection abuses; eliminates the bias against savings and investment; promotes economic growth and job creation; and does not penalize marriage or families.

McMorris Rodgers has also supported legislation to create a new simpler tax form for seniors, similar to the 1040-EZ. Current IRS rules prohibit individuals who are age 65 or older from using the 1040EZ form when filing their taxes. Instead they are required to use more complicated forms, solely based on their age and not their financial situation. The IRS has estimated that as many as 11 million senior citizens would be able to take advantage of this simplified form in the first year.