Arrow-right Camera
Subscribe now

New approach to taxes

As most of us have completed our tax returns for 2013, it seems like a good time to pause and reflect on the need for major tax reform in our country. While many of us pay our fair share in taxes to the federal government, others avoid paying their fair share by not reporting income that is made through illegal means (e.g., drug trafficking, theft, etc.).

An effective means for the government to capture this lost tax revenue would be to abolish the current federal income tax and institute either a national sales tax and/or a flat-rate income tax with no deductions allowed. A national sales tax would enable the government to capture revenue from all citizens who purchase goods, including those who have avoided paying their fair share under the current federal income tax system. Individuals would not be able to avoid paying taxes under this approach.

A national sales tax and/or flat-rate income tax with no deductions would eliminate the need for the Internal Revenue Service, which has become an unwieldy, woefully inefficient and, some would argue, unethical department of the federal government. We owe this to future generations of Americans.

Mark Newbold

Spokane



Letters policy

The Spokesman-Review invites original letters on local topics of public interest. Your letter must adhere to the following rules:

  • No more than 250 words
  • We reserve the right to reject letters that are not factually correct, racist or are written with malice.
  • We cannot accept more than one letter a month from the same writer.
  • With each letter, include your daytime phone number and street address.
  • The Spokesman-Review retains the nonexclusive right to archive and re-publish any material submitted for publication.

Unfortunately, we don’t have space to publish all letters received, nor are we able to acknowledge their receipt. (Learn more.)

Submit letters using any of the following:

Our online form
Submit your letter here
Mail
Letters to the Editor
The Spokesman-Review
999 W. Riverside Ave.
Spokane, WA 99201
Fax
(509) 459-3815

Read more about how we crafted our Letters to the Editor policy