Survey of 2014 Senate campaign websites: on Tax Reform

Joyce Dickerson: Fight for America's declining middle class

Joyce understands the necessity of reducing our nation's debt for a more sustainable America.

Amanda Swafford: Politicians use tax code to for social engineering

• Enact the Fair Tax right away
• Reduce spending to at least 1998 levels (but 1992 or earlier levels would be preferable)
• Repeal the 16th Amendment
• Eliminate any and all forms of double taxation
• Eliminate the anti-competitive corporate income tax
• Eliminate the punitive estate tax

Nathan LaFrance: Replace income tax with national sales tax

1. COMPLETELY REPEAL the ENTIRE current federal tax code.
2. IMMEDIATELY implement a FLAT TAX on personal and corporate income, effective 1/1/15. Every American individual and business will pay this fixed tax rate; no more loopholes, tax shelters, etc.
3. Implement a NATIONAL SALES TAX to replace ALL income taxes, by 1/1/18. Nathan believes that we should reward productive work in any way we can, and we can do that by not taxing it. By moving to a national sales tax, we will only pay taxes on what we consume, which means our hard work and savings will NOT BE TAXED.

Thomas Ravenel: Cut wage taxes, death taxes, & corporate taxes

I support a complete overhaul of our current tax policy. Today, the government taxes Americans at every turn. We're taxed on our wages, when we make purchases with what's left of those wages, when we make gains on after-tax dollars, and even when we die.

We must also cut corporate taxes. The US has the highest corporate tax rate in the world at 40%. This places us at a severe disadvantage when competing globally. Additionally, instead of having a territorial tax system like most developed nations, the US has a world-wide tax system. This means our government taxes companies headquartered in the US if they earned income in other countries--even though those companies already paid taxes where the income was originally generated.

Randall Batson: Replace income tax with FairTax national sales tax

Repeal the 16th amendment. Replace with the FairTax; this national sales tax replaces most federal taxes. Currently, embedded taxes result in overpricing all items in the market. Once transitioned to the FairTax, prices would drop while at the same time boosting peoples' paychecks. Unlike the proposed inclusive rate of 23%, with payroll deduction choice mentioned earlier, the FairTax could be lowered to 9%.

Sam Rankin: Simplify to three tax brackets: 12%, 22%, 28%

Increase income (all money saved shall apply to lowering taxes/deficit)
• Three new individual tax brackets: 12% - 22% - 28%
• Corporate tax rate 28%
• Mortgage interest--capped at $500K mortgage, no 2nd homes or equity.
• Eliminate state and local tax deductions.
• Eliminate itemized deductions.

Dave Domina: A billionaire means $10K from pocket of 100,000 families

Our attention is distracted to other things. And it goes on-- from Administration to Administration.

Together, as a common force with a strong voice, we can make a difference! Let's get it done. A strong voice must be heard for some basic things about which there can be no intelligent dispute.

Monica Wehby: 40% of budget on debt servicing is generational theft

David Clements: Make the tax code simple and regulations predictable

Senator Tom Udall has spent years helping special interest groups make millions at the expense of hard working New Mexico taxpayers. This cannot continue.

T.W. Shannon: Led the way to lower income tax rates

Chris McDaniel: Reduce our corporate and personal tax rates

Terri Lynn Land: Make tax code simple, fair, and less bureaucratic

Terri's Solutions:
• Fair: The tax code is inherently unfair and it rewards special-interest groups. We should increase fairness by eliminating special carve-outs and exemptions. I would also support lower overall tax rates.
• Simple: The tax code is more than 4 million words. I will prioritize simplifying the tax code and eliminating redundancies and discrepancies in the code, as well the incomprehensible rules and regulations that weigh down on small businesses.
• Less Bureaucracy: The IRS today is a sprawling bureaucratic agency that has control of too many aspects of our personal information and business records. Because my plan will produce a less complex tax code, we will be able to scale back the IRS.

Milton Wolf: Imagine a simpler tax code, like the FairTax

Imagine a simpler tax code, like the FairTax, where everyone finally plays by the same set of rules.

Imagine a health care system that cares more about patients than politicians.

Our country cannot sustain the tax, spend, and borrow system that has been used by entrenched Washington insiders for far too long.

Lee Bright: Taxes punish productive citizens

It is no wonder that our economy continues to struggle when employers and investors must carry such a heavy tax burden. In the last few years, Republicans in Congress have repeatedly succumbed for Obama's demands for just one more tax increase. This must stop.

Lee Bright is a strong advocate for a complete overhaul of the tax code. Our current tax code is out of date, confusing and burdensome to comply with.

Lee supports a fairer, flatter and simpler tax structure to boost economic growth, like the Fair Tax and the Flat Tax. Lee believes that American economy can thrive if the tax code is reformed and the overall tax burden reduced.

Ben Sasse: Taxation should be as simple as possible

• Honest work, perseverance, and achievement should be praised rather than ridiculed.
• Taxation should be as simple as possible and should not exceed historical norms, as the federal government should shrink--not expand--in size and scope.
• Regulations should not sap the vitality of a free citizenry, stymy economic growth, or disadvantage everyday Americans at the expense of the well-connected.

Jason Conger: Pushed tax relief for middle and low income families

Jim Rubens: Pro-growth tax swap: simplify & reform anti-jobs tax code

But, in a break with the past, we must pay for these tax cuts--without growing government, without printing more money, and without loading our children and grandchildren with more government debt. We can swap job-killing payroll and corporate taxes dollar for dollar with a revenue-neutral carbon tax.

I am principled, but not rigid. Conservative economists almost universally condemn America's byzantine, anti-jobs tax code, preferring a simpler system which imposes necessary taxes on consumption, rather than on work & income. This is why many conservatives support the Fair Tax, a national retail sales tax.

Pat McGeehan: Overly taxing continually steals the income of our residents

This is why I have signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge to oppose any tax increase as your U.S. Senator. I have also signed the Coalition to Reduce Spending Pledge, to vote against any bill that increases the national debt.

I believe spending and taxes are two sides of a coin. I will fight to reduce taxes and cut spending. We need a balanced budget now, as we can simply not afford to pass more debt down to our children.

Sam Clovis: Transition from personal income tax system to a FairTax

Milton Wolf: The FairTax will save our country; scrap the tax code

In a tele-town hall on July 29, Senator Roberts said about the FairTax: "Those kind of tax programs--or schemes if you want to call them that--proposals--they can raise an awful lot of money awful quick, and you know the record of the Congress back here. I'm a little worried about that because if you raise a lot of money we spend it."

Roberts' conservative primary challenger, Dr. Milton Wolf, commented: "Unlike Senator Roberts, I support the FairTax. The current tax code is the problem here, and tax overhaul proposals like the FairTax will save our country, not provide Roberts and his fellow career politicians 'an awful lot of money awful quick' so they can 'spend it.'

Joe Carr: No new taxes, period

Matt Bevin: Higher taxes mean fewer private sector jobs

Our tax system also needs to be reformed--desperately. At over 60,000 pages, it is overly complex, inefficient and unfair. With its numerous pages of special-interest loopholes and thorny rules, the tax code is just a way for politicians and the IRS to reward their friends and punish their enemies. Matt supports scrapping the current tax code and instituting a flat tax that will encourage job creation and allow taxpayers to fill out their tax forms quickly and without expensive assistance.

Owen Hill: Taxes should be low, simple, and without loopholes

A big reason the poorest Colorado families are disadvantaged is they pay an outsized share of taxes for food. This should never be the case and is why all food should be tax free. I ran a bill in the Colorado Senate to take the unfair taxation off of food and leave that money in the pockets of those who need it most--the taxpayer.

We need to overhaul the IRS as one of our top priorities. Everyone should be able to do their taxes on a form the size of a post-card.

Shane Osborn: Cut taxes; reduce spending; Balanced Budget

Nebraskans believe in a limited government, and Shane believes government should be transparent and accountable to taxpayers. As Nebraska State Treasurer, Shane put the state budget online--creating an easy, accessible way to see how tax dollars are spent, he trimmed office staff, and cut his budget.

The jump in federal spending under President Obama has resulted in a government growing too big and too fast.

It's why Shane supports a balanced budget amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and it's why Shane wants to cut taxes and reduce federal spending. That formula has helped grow Nebraska's economy and it's time that message is heard in Washington.

Joni Ernst: IRS is a predatory, bureaucratic, out-of-control disaster

Matthew Whitaker: Taxes are too high and the tax code is too complex

• We need tax reform: Taxes are too high and the tax code is too complex, disadvantaging middle-income Americans.
• We need government reform: Burdensome regulations, debt, deficit and Washington bureaucrats strangle American growth and innovation. The federal government is moving away from the Constitution and its founding principles.
• Matt worked for over five years as the US Attorney, protecting law-abiding citizens and their hard earned tax-dollars from fraud.

David Perdue: No tax increase of any kind; overhaul the tax code

Champ Edmunds: Reduce taxes and cut red tape

Washington DC needs a new direction. We need to get our government under control. We live in the greatest country in the world, yet we borrow a trillion dollars a year against our own children. I want my kids to live the American dream as our parents and grandparents did.

Jim Oberweis: We cannot tax and spend our way to prosperity

We simply cannot tax and borrow and spend our way to prosperity--the results of the last decade's experiment in liberal government have proven that.

We'll need to start a phased in tax cut, beginning with repeal of the lame duck session's tax hikes on personal income, business income, the death tax, and business losses.