JOHN LINDER: “today is the last legislative day before the glorious tax day on Monday when all Americans happily come together for the…”

“today is the last legislative day before the glorious tax day on Monday when all Americans happily come together for the good of their country. Let me state some facts about the tax system. Americans will collectively spend 6 billion hours complying with the Tax Code, which is not surprising, since the most basic tax form, the 1040 EZ, has 32 pages of instructions. Tax compliance costs estimated at approximately $250 billion a year will be $900 for every man, woman, and child in America. The IRS will receive 100 million phone calls for assistance and the answers that they give when you get through are wrong 47 percent of the time. There are five different definitions of a child in Federal tax law with 200 pages of instructions interpreting those definitions. One dollar's worth of gasoline includes 48 cents in taxes. A $1.14 loaf of bread reflects 35 cents in taxes. Eighteen cents of a 50-cent can of soda goes to taxes. A $153 utility bill consists of approximately $39 in taxes. Mr. Speaker, in a recent poll Americans were more afraid of receiving an IRS audit notice than anthrax. It is time to end the code.”