Americans dread April 15th, Income Tax Day. The income tax code is so complex that even the IRS cannot accurately explain it.
Tax reform ought to be a national economic imperative. I signed the Americans for Tax Reform's Taxpayer Protection Pledge.
I have committed in writing that I will not increase marginal tax rates, or vote for any new taxes whose net result is that Americans pay more in taxes.
I strongly support the concept of the Fair Tax. The Fair Tax will abolish the federal income tax
and the IRS. April 15th will become just another beautiful spring day!
The Fair Tax will replace the income tax, corporate taxes, capital gains taxes, and estate and inheritance taxes with a national sales tax. I do not favor and will not support a
sales tax and the current income tax. My political opponents may make that charge, but do not let them confuse you. My position is clear: Abolish the Income Tax. Replace it and all other federal taxes with the Sales Tax.
Source: Campaign website, www.flemingforcongress.com, "Issues"
Dec 6, 2008
Repeal the Death Tax.
Fleming signed H.R.205
A BILL to repeal the Federal estate and gift taxes:
Subtitle B of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes) is hereby repealed.
The repeal shall apply to estates of decedents dying, gifts made, and generation-skipping transfers made after the date of the enactment of this Act.
Source: Death Tax Repeal Act 09-HR205 on Jan 6, 2009
Replace income tax & employment tax with FairTax.
Fleming signed H.R.25 & S.296
Repeals the income tax, employment tax, and estate and gift tax.
Imposes a national sales tax on the use or consumption in the United States of taxable property or services.
Sets the sales tax rate at 23% in 2011, with adjustments to the rate in subsequent years.
Allows exemptions from the tax for property or services purchased for business, export, or investment purposes, and for state government functions.
Prohibits the funding of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after FY2013.
Establishes in the Department of the Treasury: (1) an Excise Tax Bureau to administer excise taxes not administered by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and (2) a Sales Tax Bureau to administer the national sales tax.
Terminates the sales tax imposed by this Act if the Sixteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution (authorizing an income tax) is not repealed within seven years after the enactment of this Act.
Fleming signed Americans for Tax Reform "Taxpayer Protection Pledge"
Politicians often run for office saying they won't raise taxes, but then quickly turn their backs on the taxpayer. The idea of the Pledge is simple enough: Make them put their no-new-taxes rhetoric in writing.
In the Taxpayer Protection Pledge, candidates and incumbents solemnly bind themselves to oppose any and all tax increases. While ATR has the role of promoting and monitoring the Pledge, the Taxpayer Protection Pledge is actually made to a candidate's constituents, who are entitled to know where candidates stand before sending them to the capitol. Since the Pledge is a prerequisite for many voters, it is considered binding as long as an individual holds the office for which he or she signed the Pledge.
Since its rollout with the endorsement of President Reagan in 1986, the pledge has become de rigeur for Republicans seeking office, and is a necessity for Democrats running in Republican districts.
Source: Americans for Tax Reform "Taxpayer Protection Pledge" 10-ATR on Aug 12, 2010
No European-style VAT (value-added tax).
Fleming signed H.RES.1346
RESOLUTION Opposing the imposition of a value-added tax:
Whereas a value-added tax (VAT) is a type of sales tax that is assessed on goods at every stage of production;
Whereas a VAT is a hidden tax that is ultimately passed along to consumers, but is embedded into the price of goods and services and therefore not transparent to the consumer;
Whereas the average tax burden levied by the Federal Government since 1980 has been 18% of GDP;
Whereas, within the next 15 years, Federal taxes are projected to rise to the highest level in US history;
Whereas adding a VAT on top of the existing Federal income tax would increase the burden on United States taxpayers to unprecedented levels;
Whereas the average VAT rate in Europe has risen from 5% when the tax was first introduced in the 1960s to 20% today;
Whereas European countries that have imposed a VAT have seen their total tax burden rise to an average of over 40% of GDP;
Whereas such high levels of
taxation and spending crowd out private investment, which stifles economic growth and leads to chronically high levels of unemployment;
Whereas the IRS has calculated that US taxpayers spend approximately $200 billion and 7.6 billion hours a year to comply with Federal tax laws;
Whereas a VAT would only add another layer of complexity and compliance costs to a fundamentally unsound tax system;
Whereas the burden of a VAT would fall most heavily on low-income and middle-class Americans; and
Whereas a VAT would do nothing to restore fiscal accountability in Washington, but would simply bankroll wasteful and inefficient Federal Government spending:
Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That--
It is the sense of the House of Representatives that imposing a value-added tax would be a massive tax increase that would cripple families on fixed income and only further push back the US economic recovery; and
the House of Representatives opposes a value-added tax.
Source: Opposing the Imposition of a VAT 10-HRs1346 on May 11, 2010
Replace income tax & estate tax with 23% sales tax.
Fleming co-sponsored Fair Tax Act of 2011
Congress finds the Federal income tax--
retards economic growth and has reduced the standard of living
impedes the international competitiveness of US industry
reduces savings and investment by taxing income multiple times
slows the capital formation necessary for real wages to steadily increase
lowers productivity
imposes unacceptable and unnecessary administrative and compliance costs
is unfair and inequitable
unnecessarily intrudes upon the privacy and civil rights of US citizens
impedes upward social mobility.
Findings Relating to National Sales Tax- Congress finds further that a broad-based national sales tax on goods and services purchased for final consumption--
is similar in many respects to the sales and use taxes in place in 45 of the 50 States
will promote savings and investment
will promote fairness
will promote economic growth
will raise the standard of living
will increase investment
will enhance productivity and international competitiveness
will reduce administrative burdens on the American taxpayer
will improve upward social mobility; and
will respect the privacy interests and civil rights of taxpayers.
REPEAL OF THE INCOME TAX, PAYROLL TAXES, AND ESTATE AND GIFT TAXES
Subtitle A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to income taxes and self-employment taxes) is repealed.
Subtitle C of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to payroll taxes and withholding of income taxes) is repealed.
Funding of Social Security Trust Funds [will be] from general revenue
Subtitle B of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to estate and gift taxes) is repealed.
IMPOSITION OF SALES TAX: There is hereby imposed a tax on the use or consumption in the US of taxable property or services.
In the calendar year 2013, the rate of tax is 23% of the gross payments for the taxable property or service.
H.R.143: Effective for estates of decedents dying after December 31, 2010, chapter 11 of subtitle B of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is repealed.
H.R.177: Subtitle B of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to estate, gift, and generation-skipping taxes) is hereby repealed.
OnTheIssues Explanation: At the end of 2010, the temporary one-year suspension of the estate tax ended. This bill proposes to make it permanent, with zero exemption. The "exemption" means the amount one can inherit without taxation. In 2009 the rate was 45% and the exemption amount was $3.5 million. On January 1, 2010 a "one year repeal" of the tax was effectuated by a temporary, one-year-only rate of 0%. On January 1, 2011 the estate tax is scheduled to a top rate of 35% and the exemption amount is scheduled to be $5 million, or $10 million for married couples.
