Tax reform not tax rearranging
Individual / Personal Tax reform:
Every election, we hear the same song and dance about "Tax Reform." But let’s be honest: all the career politicians ever do is move a few loopholes around or tweak a bracket. That isn't reform, it’s just rearranging the furniture. I’m proposing True and Real Tax Reform. I believe the federal government has no business in the individual tax lives of the American people. Washington has become too big and too distant to be writing a tax code that fits a country as diverse as ours. The local economy right here in Massachusetts is worlds apart from the local economy in Montana. Yet, the federal government tries to force us all into the same "one-size-fits-all" bucket. It just doesn't work. My proposal moves all individual tax collection back to the state level and fundamentally changes how the federal government is funded. The current system in place has an average effective W-2 tax rate of 14%. I am proposing a lower, flat 12% total federal tax on the states, broken down like this: 10% for National Priorities: To fund the things the Feds are actually constitutionally mandated to do, like National Defense and interstate infrastructure. 2% for Town grants, infrastructure projects and the Emergency Disaster Relief Fund: This is a dedicated "lockbox." By having a standing 2% fund, we stop the political bickering over "emergency spending" every time a crisis hits. It’s there, it’s funded, and it’s ready. The federal government’s job ends there. Washington would no longer audit you or track your every move. The States remain autonomous, deciding for themselves how to raise the revenue to cover that 12% federal tax. Whether your state chooses a progressive income tax, a flat tax, or to rely more on sales taxes, property taxes, use taxes, or even vacation and tourism taxes, is entirely up to your local legislators and you. This moves the decision-making closer to home, where the individual citizen actually has a say in how, when, and where their taxes are collected. It stops the mandates from D.C. and returns the power to the people. The Automated State Return As a federal legislator, I will use my platform to encourage states to modernize this process. Currently, your bank, your mortgage company, and your employer already send your financial data to the government. Why should you have to spend hundreds of dollars on an accountant to report information the state already has? I want to see the states adopt an automated filing system. The state aggregates the data they’ve already received, prepares a return for you, and sends it to you for review. If it looks good, you do nothing; it files automatically in 60 days. If something is off, you clarify it with the state. This cuts out the middleman and saves you time, money, headache, and stress. It’s a win-win-win for the citizens. It’s time to stop the mandates from D.C. and return the power to the people where it belongs.
Corporate Tax Reform:
We hear the phrase "Corporate Tax Reform" every single election. But much like individual taxes, all the career politicians ever do is move a few loopholes around or change a percentage point. They treat every business in America, from the mom-and-pop shop right here in the 5th District to global conglomerates like Google and Walmart—as if they’re the same thing. They aren't. And it’s time we stop pretending they are. I’m proposing that we scrap our current, cumbersome corporate tax code and replace it with three totally separate codes that do not overlap. It’s about common sense, transparency, and leveling a playing field that has been tilted against small business owners for far too long. The "Whole Story" Pledge The reason our tax code is so massive is so that politicians can hide favors for massive corporations in the fine print. When a new bill passes, the Democrats cherry-pick the parts that make them look like heroes, and the Republicans cherry-pick the parts that make the other side look like villains. Both sides are being disingenuous. They never give you the whole story; they just want you to blindly trust their one-sided view because they know you aren't going to read a 2,000-page bill cover-to-cover. My pledge to you is different: I will either write or force bills to be short and simple enough for the average American to understand for themselves—or I will give you the whole story, good, bad, and indifferent. No more "trust us." I want you to have the facts.
The Three-Tier Solution:
Code 1: Small to Mid-Sized Independent Businesses (fewer than 50 employees / under $10M revenue). This code will be simple, easy to understand, and carry a lower percentage. You shouldn't need a team of lawyers just to stay compliant with ever changing tax codes.
Code 2: Large Privately Owned Corporations. Built around Innovation and Growth, encouraging these big players to reinvest in their growth and their people right here at home.
Code 3: Publicly Traded Companies. If you want the massive financial benefit of trading on the U.S. Public Market, you pay for that privilege. Trillions of dollars from 401ks and IRAs flow automatically into these companies every day. That is a massive, "hidden" advantage, and it’s time these companies paid their fair share for that access.
By breaking the system into three clear, separate codes, we strip away the politicians' ability to manipulate the system and drastically increase government transparency. Increasing transparency is the only way to rebuild trust in a government where currently, less than one out of every four people believes Washington will do the right thing with their money. It’s time to move past the buzzwords and implement a system that actually makes sense for the people, not the politicians.