We, the undersigned, call for the abolition of the federal income tax and the adoption of a fair, transparent, and efficient alternative for funding government operations.

Why This Matters

1. Income Tax Penalizes Productivity — While Generating Massive Revenue Dependence
In 2022 alone, Americans paid approximately $2.1 trillion in individual income taxes on nearly $14.8 trillion of income.

This highlights a fundamental issue: the government’s primary revenue source is directly tied to taxing work and earnings. The more individuals produce, the more they are taxed—creating a structural disincentive to maximize productivity and income.

 
2. The System Is Highly Uneven and Perceived as Unfair
The distribution of income tax burden is heavily concentrated:

The top 50% of taxpayers pay 97% of all federal income taxes
The bottom 50% pay just 3%
While some argue this reflects progressivity, others see it as evidence of imbalance, complexity, and policy distortion—where large portions of the population are disconnected from the cost of government, reducing accountability and shared responsibility.

 
3. Compliance Costs Are Enormous — A Hidden Economic Drain
The cost of simply complying with the tax code is staggering:

Americans spend 7.1 billion hours per year on tax compliance
Total compliance cost is estimated at $536 billion annually (≈1.8% of GDP)
This includes:

~$388 billion in lost productivity
~$148 billion in out-of-pocket costs (software, accountants, etc.)
This is effectively a second, hidden tax—paid not in dollars, but in time, stress, and lost economic output.

 
4. Billions Go Uncollected — Undermining System Integrity
Even with its complexity and enforcement:

The IRS estimates a $696 billion annual tax gap (unpaid taxes)
Only about 85% of taxes owed are paid voluntarily and on time
This demonstrates a critical failure: despite heavy regulation, the system still cannot ensure compliance, leading to inequality between those who pay fully and those who do not.

 
5. Administrative Costs and Bureaucracy Are Substantial
Maintaining the income tax system requires a massive federal apparatus:

The IRS operates with a budget of $18.2 billion annually and over 90,000 employees
It processes hundreds of millions of tax filings each year
This reflects a costly bureaucracy required solely to manage, enforce, and administer income taxation.

 
6. Complexity Drives Inefficiency and Loopholes
The U.S. tax system includes countless deductions, credits, and exemptions (“tax expenditures”), which reduce revenue and complicate compliance.

At the same time:

Underreporting varies widely (e.g., 1% for wages vs. up to 53% for some income types)
This suggests the system is easier to navigate—or exploit—for those with resources, increasing perceived unfairness.

 
7. The System Consumes Resources but Still Requires Enforcement Expansion
The IRS is responsible for collecting about 96% of all federal revenue, showing how dependent the government is on tax enforcement.

Yet ongoing efforts to increase enforcement funding highlight a deeper issue: the system requires constant expansion just to maintain compliance.

 
A Better Path Forward
We advocate replacing the federal income tax with a system that is:

Simple – Easy to understand and comply with
Transparent – Clear visibility into what is paid and why
Efficient – Minimal administrative and compliance costs
Fair – Broad-based and difficult to evade
 
Our Call to Action
The current income tax system is outdated, inefficient, and economically burdensome. It wastes time, discourages productivity, and fails to ensure fairness.

We urge policymakers to abolish the federal income tax and implement a modern, transparent alternative that better serves all Americans.

Sources
Tax Foundation, Latest Federal Income Tax Data (2025)
National Taxpayers Union Foundation, Tax Compliance Burden Study (2025)
Tax Foundation, IRS Compliance Costs and Complexity (2024)
Internal Revenue Service, Tax Gap Estimates (2023 update)
Internal Revenue Service, Budget and Workforce Data (2024)