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