Rep. Woodall Calls for Elimination of IRS

    "To succeed, the FairTax cannot simply have a supporter; it needs a champion. I commit to you that Rob Woodall is that." - Congressman John Linder, retired Rep. Woodall Calls for Elimination of IRS The sponsor of the FairTax legislation and champion of the FairTax, Congressman Rob Woodall, wrote an outstanding piece on doing away with the IRS. We share it with you in its entirety. With tax season just around the corner, I want to call your attention to a Taxpayer Advocate report that was recently delivered to Congress discussing the abject failure of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to adequately serve America's taxpayers. Take a look at some of their outrageous (though not altogether surprising) findings:  * By the end of last year, it took the IRS more than six weeks to answer nearly half of taxpayers' letters and faxes dealing with adjustments to their returns. * Between 2004 and last year, the agency did not even bother to answer 30% of taxpayer phone calls. * Over the previous decade, 4,428 changes have been made to our 3.8 million-word tax code. Americans already waste $431 billion per year complying with our tax code, yet the IRS is clearly incapable of doing its part by providing basic services to those taxpayers - such as picking up the phone. What does the IRS demand as a solution to its failures? More of your money. That's right - the IRS wants an increase to the $11.8 billion they have already been given. We don't need to reform the IRS; we need to eliminate it. That is why I am championing H.R. 25, the FairTax, which would dismantle the IRS and replace our current tax code with a 23% consumption tax at the final point of purchase for new goods and services. Not only would the FairTax do away with the headache of income tax compliance, it would also replace all other federal taxes. Congress wouldn't need to continue debating whether or not Americans should get another two-month "holiday" from the payroll tax - the FairTax would permanently eliminate it. We wouldn't have to keep fighting over which industries should continue to be subsidized with federal dollars in this budget-slashing era; the FairTax would eliminate them all and level the playing field for everyone. Our current tax code is not doing America any favors. In fact, it is literally destroying economic growth and productivity. The sheer complexity of the law - taxpayers had to deal with 579 changes in 2010 alone - forces businesses to redirect precious resources from investment in new capital to tax code compliance. Instead of spending the $431 billion each year hiring new employees or investing in innovation, businesses are forced to spend the money complying with our punitive tax laws. Couple that with the fact that we have the highest book effective tax rate in the world, and it becomes clear that we need to scrap our tax code and start over. It is also clear that more freedom - not more bureaucracy and more government spending - is the answer. At its core, the FairTax is not a tax bill at all; it's a freedom bill. We need to free ourselves from the $11.8 billion annual price tag on the IRS; we need to free the most productive workforce in the world from the suffocating red tape of our tax code; and we must free our businesses from the barrier that is preventing America from being the best place in the world to invest. America needs to pass the FairTax and free ourselves from our destructive tax code - and the IRS - once and for all. - Congressman Rob Woodall, GA-07 Published in the Gwinnett Gazette http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=gMAISCr0hNb_T85Mtuf_Rw Grassroots Spotlight - Texas Volunteers The volunteer District Director for the 10th District of Texas, Ed Sarlls, did an outstanding job coordinating a FairTax booth last week. Here is his report. FairTax volunteers went above and beyond the call of duty, promoting the FairTax at the Saddle Up Texas Straw Poll on January 12-14. There were over 700 attendees including many activists, campaign staff, and talk radio outlets from Texas. During the event, volunteers staffed a FairTax booth, exchanged ideas for promoting the FairTax, educated Texans in attendance and signed up many new activists for our cause! Personal discussions were also held with three current U.S. House members (who are all FairTax sponsors), four U.S. Senate candidates and five U.S. House candidates and their campaign staff. In addition, FairTax Volunteer District Director and booth organizer, Ed Sarlls, was interviewed by political videographer, Eddie Gallegos, at the event and it was published to YouTube, here. http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=Zia5FIS9_HNJOSR9LPAEOg One candidate even sent a personal follow up email to the FairTax volunteers he met stating: "Thank you for further explaining the FairTax. I have come to a new epiphany that FairTax is a great model that we need to work to establish. While I have always been in favor of abolishing the the current punitive tax system, many of the individual policy proponents I've supported you have inside of the FairTax..." Many thanks to our twelve Texas FairTax volunteers who traveled to Houston and served 88 hours and also to Texas State Director, Marv Kuhn, who funded the booth cost. This event would not have been successful without all of us working together. The FairTax in the News  Whole tax system needs an overhaul - Smoky Mountain News http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=7VY5oTuNNG1YgWA1kF5E7w What America desperately needs is major tax reform. Many people see this and are in support, but the big guys like hiding the pea and have attorneys working against reform of any kind. The Fair Tax is a step in the right direction for tax reform, where each and every citizen with a Social Security number gets a prebate in the amount of defined poverty level. Income is not taxed at your employer, we would do away with the current tax system, and we would stop all the complicated tax filings that most Americans find hard to understand. Savings are not taxed, thereby encouraging more to save. Capital gains and the death tax would go away! What this would eliminate is the double and sometimes triple taxation on goods and income that is in place now. - Sonja Thompson, Franklin 'Fair Tax' is no threat to Social Security - NJ.com http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=GMfLSopI0T9Kpi5i-KBUXA ...the fair tax can be a significant step to safeguard Social Security, Medicare and other entitlements. It would be revenue-neutral; thus its consumption tax rate on only new products and services can be set up so that priority entitlements are fully funded... All these results together will then increase the probability that entitlements which seniors citizens value will be fully funded for decades. This will render retirement planning a much more stable and pleasant process. - Ted Hruzd, Morris Township The January FairTax Webinar With Special Topic: How the FairTax Neutralizes Tax Lobbyists When: Thursday, January 26, 2011 Time: 8 pm Eastern, 7 pm Central, 6 pm Mountain,  5 pm Pacific Where: At your personal computer anywhere! Why: To provide an interactive forum for people who cannot get to local meetings to learn about the FairTax and to present special topics that are frequently misunderstood or not generally discussed. Who: Join Marc Manieri, Americans for Fair Taxation Community Coordinator in the Greater Orlando, Florida area. In their third year now, Marc's webinars draw national participation from seasoned FairTax supporters as well as those just getting introduced to the FairTax. Join: To participate, register here. For more information contact Larry Walters at repeal_16@earthlink.net. http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=6zUzj8poqm0c0ZA4P-7ogQ Featured Video: Woodall Congress http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=1HBeUiYlmhKQC7XrDJDIXQ Congressman Woodall on the FairTax Issue http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=lolqPRJDAvxQWPSV93NkkQ Ways to Engage: - Contact Congress Advocacy?pagename=homepage&page=UserAction&id=121 - Engage and get updates on Facebook http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=9f3tFEcrhR5QevPMsvcZeQ - Follow us on Twitter http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=Ye6HNAALSjz5ChB6A8uSqg - Find a local leader http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=j9OVLSd1DCF4zh-HybA6fg - Distribute handouts http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=zOjwKZfyJ1fHtsTr1EC7Rg - Get FairTax gear http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=Kkgp2QkbqOqVzESf13cZXA - Send an e-card http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=8GoZSMdH9iYB-kAMlnOvww - Join FairTax 2012 http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=yvCyagaKSjAnfbBA4hmF8g - Contact the media http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=l77dr9DkZFI4CUm6GpjeRQ - Calculate your rate http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=J7gKFxaewCJRBNgE6dWF3w - Get FairTax graphics http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=0VfODUBeBx5E0Ebl1UbrlA - Watch the webinar http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=iToM0c6oEi-gJ7k7_GHabA - Understand basics http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=JzSX-7OAfU1r04OD3k-7nA - Join FairTaxNation http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=7YgXVnPwWN4CsMmOMI2lPQ Featured Paper: Letter to the editor tips http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=-5SolLXMoNP0Bew0LHB1fg Letters to the Editor Tips http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=Yfxcnji-U0iAwfyrmTwPqA Powered By Convio Update email preferences | Unsubscribe | Contact Us http://www.fairtax.org/site/CO?i=LHTmdzpD6tXf4HscAn4GJZsrEGu15EqL&cid=0 http://www.fairtax.org/site/CO?i=reM7Uz47gIfAA48PBfaFMlvF1szc9eRM&cid=0 http://www.fairtax.org/site/R?i=MNwmHCLJopbukkqQLfwAoA Americans for Fair Taxation, Essex Lane Suite #328, Houston, Texas 77027 1-877-FAIRTAX (324-7829) Paid for by Americans for Fair Taxation Americans For Fair Taxation is a 501(c)(4) non-profit organization. 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