Show Tax reform or tax gouging News stories out of Washington are that Congress ss is again about to tackle tax reform of of- of tax reform II The move is based at least in part on the very good grounds that the present income tax forms are hopelessly complicated so much so that the average taxpayer faces a major time- time consuming problem each spring trying to determine how much is owed to toUncle toUncle toUncle Uncle Sam It would be rare indeed to find a person who would not agree that life would be a lot easier if the income tax reports were somehow made easier to fill out However if we are to judge by bythe bythe bythe the scanty information which has leaked out thus far it would appear that the way some members of Congress figure to simplify things is isby isby isby by eliminating altogether some of the tax deductions now allowed such as for example the gasoline tax The argument is that the saving to each individual taxpayer under the present rules is very little but that the government would gain when totaled a great grea t deal The fact is elimination of this loophole would in effect double the taxes you now pay on every gallon of gasoline you buy The only difference is that instead of paying the total tax out in cash at the gasoline pump where it it- show up in bold the out-in-the-open figures you figures you would pay it again at the end of the year Of course it would be hidden away in your income tax payments where obviously Congress hopes you wont won't notice it There are even rumors unconfirmed unconfirmed unconfirmed un un- un- un confirmed of talk to do away with the deduction for interest charges Of course those who would be hit the hardest are those who cannot afford to pay cash for everything they buy and that would include every owner home-owner paying interest on the mortgage for his house All of which raises the question Are the Congressional planners really interested interested interested in in- in finding ways to simplify present income tax reporting methods or is it their real objective to extract more money from the pockets of Joe Citizen If the members of Congress are genuinely interested in easing the burdens of the taxpayers they will adopt President Fords Ford's suggestion to cut government expenses and overhead Then we will all breathe easier |