Talk:Senate Subcommittee on Taxation and IRS Oversight

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Welcome interested citizens

Please correct me if I'm wrong, but it is my understanding that the House can initiate tax legislation, but the Senate cannot, so I'm not sure if this group will lag behind those assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee in initiating tax discussion. Of course this subcommittee will play a vital role.

I understand that Nancy Pelosi has requested input as to how to make the House committees more transparent and accountable to the citizenry, which I admit is not the same as requesting input as to how new laws should read, but what a great start! I know of no such request yet from Harry Reid regarding Senate committees, but this might be one area in which to anticipate involvement. Consequently I expect, contrary to the title of this committee, there will of course be equal need for involvement without regard to a tax background. Besides the fact that it would be considerably less boring.

Since the 110th Congress is of course not yet in session, and since as a Certified Public Accountant I've had some time to develop some strong opinions, this looks like a good spot to vent some discussion and hopefully promote tax equity and simplification. It would be well to start with discussion of the structure of this group, but I'm not real up on the subject. Anyone?

There is, appropriately, much ongoing discussion about both simplification and fairness. Some of the discourse is in the direction of an entirely new structure, such as a tax on consumption. It seems to me there are ample opportunities in the current code as well.

For example, this nation at one time got along just fine without raising revenue by taxing social security income, and lowering revenue by granting a mortgage interest deduction for second homes. It would seem equitable that an offset by striking both, while probably not revenue neutral, would be at least a good example of the types of changes that could be made under the existing code.

I look forward to being joined in this forum soon.

--Steven wonders 00:20, 31 December 2006 (PST)