Ron Paul: Trump’s Tax Returns Show Evil Of The Income Tax – OpEd
By Ron Paul
The final act of the Democrat majority on the House Ways and Means Committee was to make public several years of Donald Trump’s tax returns, which the Committee obtained after a prolonged legal battle. The tax returns confirmed that, despite being one of the richest people in America, Donald Trump paid very little in federal income tax. In fact, in at least one year he paid under a thousand dollars.
Trump’s success in minimizing his tax liability without ever being audited is surprising only to those who think IRS audits are mainly used to catch rich “tax cheats.” According to data released by the Syracuse University Transactional Records Clearinghouse, in 2022 lower-income taxpayers were five and half times more likely than millionaires and billionaires to be audited! This is because low-income taxpayers cannot afford to hire top-notch tax attorneys and accountants to help fight the IRS, so they are more likely to give in to the agency’s demands.
Despite claims of the Biden Administration and its Congressional allies, the $80 million in additional funds provided to the agency as a part of the misnamed “Inflation Reduction Act” will likely increase the tax agency’s targeting of low- and middle-income Americans.
Proponents of a flat tax or national sales tax argue that such a system would ensure millionaires and billionaires paid their “fair share” of taxes. Saying we must all pay our “fair share” of taxes assumes we have a moral obligation to the government that can only be fulfilled by turning over as much of our income as our so-called “public servants” demand. This is not the case. Individuals have a moral duty to support their families, and to support private charities if they wish. They do not have a moral duty to support the government.
Tax reform proponents also complain that the current tax code contains too many loopholes that cause economic distortions and inefficiencies. It is true that the current tax system promotes inefficiency, but this is caused by the income tax itself, not the loopholes. Conversely, loopholes actually promote economic efficiency by giving taxpayers the ability to spend more of their money the way they prefer, rather than allowing politicians to spend it. As economist Thomas DiLorenzo put it, “private individuals always spend their own money more efficiently than government bureaucrats do.”
Some have expressed concerns that the use of President Trump’s tax records as part of the Democrat and Deep State effort to discredit him sets a dangerous precedent that will lead to increased use of tax information as a political weapon. The sad fact is that ever since its creation, politicians have used the IRS as a tool for punishing political opponents. As an IRS agent told the head of conservative organization who was being audited after calling for the impeachment of then-President Bill Clinton, “What do you expect when you target the President?”
The major problem with the income tax, and the reason it must be eliminated, not merely “reformed,” is that it is rooted in the idea that the government has first claim on our income. This idea is incompatible with a free society. Furthermore, the income tax must also be repealed because the force of the IRS, along with the fraud of the Federal Reserve, is one of the two foundations of the welfare-warfare state that erodes our liberty and prosperity. The only way to avoid 1984 is to repeal 1913.
This article was published by RonPaul Institute.
so do you think we should have a military, and if so how would you fund it?
It should be clear that a free society would not be too free if there were no government spending.
A free society requires a rule of law produced by a democracy. People have been known to break these laws. (Furthermore, rich people often commit very big crimes and poor people often commit petty crimes.)
In the absence of government, would economically bad business monopolies be broken as a charitable endeavour by rich people and boy scout eagle scouts? Would companies sell products that cause addiction, cancer, usurious fees to people without a good understanding of these things?
Finding tax fraud is necessary. To the extent tax compliance review reflects political animus one might think that pendulum periodically swings back and forth. But the point is fraud or noncompliance is just that. How could funding the IRS possibly not be money well spent? Fraud is demoralizing and contrary to a free society.
Our current democratic process makes an income redistribution scheme that is friendly to those with very high income. It was created by elected legislators. The tax code is a product of lawmaking and arguably legitimate, whatever side one is on. So it should be enforced regardless of the taxpayers politics and income bracket.
A progressive tax rate and some income redistribution is necessary unless someone wants to cite Jonathan Swift’s solution to the problem of overpopulation.
People amass wealth here because they enjoy a reasonably, although cyclical, and stable economy. The stability in the long run might be attributable to middle class and a middle class might be created and maintained by some tax code.
Turning a blind eye to anyone not in compliance is not the “moral” thing to do. It defeats the chance of a freedom in favor of an oligarchy.
Does Former Representative Paul have a concrete proposal for how to raise revenue for government spending that society–through our democratic process—has agreed upon? In terms of figuring out what society wants to have the government spend money on, does Former Representative Paul have a concrete proposal on how to reform the process, say reforms to how we elect Senators and Congressional Representatives at both the State and National level? Are you referring to our elected representatives as self-interested bureaucrats?
The issue with this post is that people like Ron Paul believes “The People” and “The Government” are two separate and competing entities, but he is wrong. The People are The Government. Paying taxes is not about giving a check and free healthcare to politicians in Washington. Paying your fair share in taxes is paying for roads and bridges that link the economy we are all dependent on in order to feed our families. Taxes are the public schools that put workers in the workforce. Taxes are the military that protects our country from external threats, and the police, fire and other service professionals that protect us from internal threats. Taxes are safer food and lower healthcare costs so our family does not lose everything due to an illness or injury. Taxes are a safety net for folks that work their whole lives and want to spend their remaining years with dignity. Our system is not perfect, but our system is better when everyone, especially the wealthiest, contribute their fair share.
No, Dr. Paul. It shows the evil of the congress that creates the tax code to benefit the wealthy at the expense of the poor.
I thought that Ron Paul had a stroke on TV? I’m disgusted that he’s still capable of writing this pro-oligarch filth.
I love the responses to Ron Paul’s offensive and appallingly uneducated stance on taces… As a Canadian i applaud you folks for your enlightened responses and am glad to see that sanity can still be found south of our border!
The pure arrogance to suggest Ron Paul is uneducated.