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Randy
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April 17, 2012
Today is Tax Day, and it is also Tax Freedom Day, the day the average American has earned enough to finally pay this year’s federal, state, and local tax bill. Compare that to the year 1900 when Tax Freedom Day fell on January 22nd. According to the Tax Foundation, unless Washington takes action, tax increases “could push Tax Freedom Day to the end of April or beyond.”
Posted by
Randy
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March 12, 2012
“Am I taking advantage of the right deductions?” AN OVERVIEW of the FEDERAL TAX CODE Click here or click the document below to read:
Posted by
Randy
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December 29, 2011
Millions of Americans across the nation take advantage of the child tax credit. And it stands now, millions of undocumented workers are currently able to take advantage of this credit too. Under current law, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) allows individuals filing with an Individual Tax Identification Number (ITIN) to access the child tax credit, allowing those in the country illegally to receive the credits.
An audit by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration found that illegal workers collected $4.2 billion in the tax credit known as the Additional Child Tax Credit, a refundable credit meant for authorized working families. The inspector general's office said 2.3 million undocumented filers claimed the credit in 2010, adding up to $4.2 billion worth of refunds. This tax loophole is fundamentally unfair to those workers who are authorized to work in the United States, and closing the loophole will save American taxpayers billions of dollars. I have cosponsored legislation, the Child Tax Credit Integrity Preservation Act of 2011, H.R. 3444, to require tax filers to provide a valid Social Security number to claim tax credits, such as child tax credits, when filing their tax returns. This bill would effectively prevent illegal immigrants from claiming tax credits intended for law-abiding American taxpayers. A similar requirement is already in place for the earned income credit. Read more about the bill here.
Posted by
Randy
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July 15, 2011
As we approach the looming August 2 debt ceiling deadline, Congressional leaders and the Administration have been debating courses of action necessary to address the nation’s debt. I know many of you are watching the debt ceiling debate closely. I want to share with you my key principles in the debt limit debate and the solutions I am supporting to get spending under control and cut, cap and balance the federal budget. My Key Principles in the Debt Limit Debate Cut Spending. All across America families and businesses must live within their means. The federal government should too. At a time when the federal government is borrowing 42 cents for every dollar it spends, we need significant spending cuts. So how do we make sure these principles are being met? I’ve cosponsored the following solutions: Balanced Budget Amendment, H.J.Res.1. This amendment would require that Congress not spend more than it receives in revenues, requires the President to submit a balanced budget to Congress, and requires a 3/5 majority vote to increase the debt limit.
I’d like to know what you think. Do you agree with these principles?
Posted by
Randy
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July 14, 2011
On May 16, 2011, the government officially reached the debt ceiling, or the level imposed by Congress on how much national debt the U.S. can carry. Despite reaching this threshold, stronger than expected tax revenues have extended the government’s borrowing authority through August 2, 2011. The Administration cannot raise the debt ceiling without permission from Congress and so for the past several months, congressional leaders and Administration officials have conducted negotiations to determine the size and scope of spending cuts necessary for Congress to agree to lift the debt ceiling. Recently, the Associated Press reported that the Administration is seeking to not only raise the debt ceiling, but also to raise taxes on small business owners and potentially low- and middle-income families. Instead of raising taxes on those who can least afford it and on those most likely to create jobs, I remain committed to a plan that includes serious and immediate cuts in spending, institutes permanent federal spending caps, and passes a requirement for Congress to balance the federal budget by spending no more than revenues allow. Take the poll here.
Posted by
Randy
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July 14, 2011
An article today sheds light on another example of government waste. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is conducting a national survey about HIV vaccines. To encourage people to go online and spend 20 to 30 minutes completing the survey, the NIH is mailing each recipient $2.
Not only is the federal government paying individuals to take a survey, it is issuing the $2 in the form of cash being sent in the mail addressed to “current occupant.” This only increases the chance that these taxpayer dollars could be tossed in the trash, unopened, along with other mail sent to “current occupant” and deemed junk mail. The survey is being conducted at the request of the White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB). According to OMB’s website, the project will cost taxpayers $336,666 annually and expires in 2013. We cannot afford this type of spending when our country faces record debt and deficit, and we especially cannot afford the risk of taxpayer dollars being tossed in the trash. Weigh in – are you concerned that the government would pay individuals to take a survey?
Posted by
Randy
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July 12, 2011
This chart, using data from the Congressional Budget Office and the White House Office of Management and Budget, shows Americans could face the highest tax burden in history. Higher taxes would contribute to economic stagnation and deepen the financial crisis, according to the American Legislative Exchange Council. Read about my work to ensure American families and businesses aren’t forced to carry a burden of higher taxes, especially in our current economic environment. Are you worried about the possibility of a greater tax burden?
Posted by
Randy
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June 10, 2011
How much of your tax dollars goes toward payments on the national debt? How much of your taxes are spent on entitlements? What is your contribution to U.S. foreign aid programs? With the national debt skyrocketing, I believe that hardworking taxpayers deserve to see itemized accounting of where their money is being spent and how much Uncle Sam is borrowing each year. This is why I am co-sponsoring the Taxpayer Receipt Act, which would provide an individualized receipt that shows where a taxpayer’s income taxes are spent. Under this bill, each taxpayer who files an income tax return would receive a receipt – similar to a grocery store receipt – from the IRS that would include key categories where their dollars are being spent, such as the interest on the national debt, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, national defense, veterans’ benefits, environmental protection and foreign aid. Taxpayers would be directed to a website where they could get more information on programs not included in the one-page receipt. Additionally, the receipt would provide taxpayers with the amount representing their share of the federal debt. This bill would provide increased transparency and accountability to the process by which the government determines where and how much to spend. Hopefully it will also encourage lawmakers to spend less and respect taxpayer dollars more. Weigh in. Do you want to see where your taxpayer dollars are being spent?
Posted by
Randy
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June 08, 2011
Each year, taxpayers and small businesses spend nearly 2.5 billion hours preparing their tax forms. Even the commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, Douglas Shulman, has said, “I find the tax code complex, so I use a preparer.”
Do you think simplifying the current tax code system should be a priority in helping small businesses and boosting the economy?
Posted by
Randy
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June 07, 2011
The current American tax system was developed nearly a century ago at a time when the economy was largely based on agriculture, manufacturing, and local commerce. With the onset of the information technology age, American businesses, families, and organizations have changed while the tax code has remained the same. As a result, the American tax system has grown increasingly inefficient, outdated, unfair, and complex. · Cosponsoring the Tax Code Termination Act (H.R. 462), which would replace the old tax system no later than July 4, 2015. This new system would seek to apply a low rate to all Americans, provide tax relief for working Americans, protect the rights of taxpayers and reduce tax collection abuses, eliminate the bias against savings and investment, promote economic growth and job creation, and get rid of penalties facing those married or with children; Weigh in. Do you support these efforts that will create jobs and lessen the complexity of the American tax system? |
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