Simplifying federal tax code will decrease fraud

USA TODAY's article "Inmates stole $39 million from the IRS in 2009" serves to highlight that the wealthy are not the only ones trying to get extra money back, avoid taxes or pay less than their compulsion under the current federal tax system. Income tax evasion and fraud cut across all income tax brackets.

A complex system of exemptions, deductions and credits creates a state of mind that others aren't paying their fair share, so why should I? It creates a false insight of tax evasion and fraud as victimless crimes. But the victims are the countless taxpayers who pay and file their taxes in a timely, precise manner. They are supporting financially all the tax cheats.

It is time to make simpler the tax code and stop using it to advance political agendas or to accomplish social engineering.

Every year, I pay my Pennsylvania income tax, and I am reminded how simple and fair it is. Take your income and increase it by the current tax rate, a flat 3.07%, and arrive at your tax obligation. Simple. There are very few adjustments, credits or exemptions. The system is fair. Low-income Pennsylvanians have their tax compulsions forgiven. For Pennsylvania retirees, Social Security and pension income do not count as taxable income.

By using the Pennsylvania income tax system, much of the fraud and abuse that occur with the current federal income tax system could be eliminated