Business tax reform : simplification and increased uniformity of taxation would yield benefits : testimony before the Committee on Finance, U.S. Senate

First published in 1998, Ruggeri and Vincent analyse different tax reform proposals to create a discourse on dispelling the myths surrounding the flat tax. This book proposes a progressive and comprehensive tax reforms, whilst simplifying the tax system for the vast majority of tax payers. Whilst ensuring the tax system reforms dose not hinder economic growth. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in the problems and promise of tax reform.

Why are tax systems so complex? What are the causes of tax law complexity? What are the consequences? Why is tax simplification so difficult to achieve? These, and related questions, lie at the core of this volume on tax simplification featuring chapters by leading tax experts around the world. The quest for simplicity è^' or at least some move towards simplification è^' has been a fixation of governments and others for many years, but little appears to have been achieved. Tax simplification is the most widely quoted but the least widely observed of the usually stated goals of policy (equity and efficiency being the others). It has been used (and abused) as a primary justification for tax reform over the last century, and typically it is seen as è^-a good thingè^-- è^' to say that one is in favour of tax simplification is tantamount to stating that one is in favour of good as opposed to evil.