A SIMPLE, PROGRESSIVE TAX CODE

Tax season arrives, and millions of people are left scrambling—sorting through endless paperwork, trying to decipher legalese, and hoping they don’t miscalculate their taxable income by a few dollars, lest they trigger an audit. A straightforward civic duty has been transformed into a bureaucratic nightmare, where even the most basic tax filings require paid assistance. In the land of the free, why must every April feel like an extortion scheme?

The U.S. tax code spans over 70,000 pages. Why so complicated? Because many deductions, exemptions, and loopholes are the result of lobbying. Wealthy individuals and corporations pay armies of lawyers and accountants to find—or create—ways to minimize their tax burden. The result? A system where billionaires tax rates are lower than that of a public school teacher. In 2021, ProPublica revealed that some of the richest Americans paid effective tax rates of less than 1%. In 2018, General Motors, Amazon, and Netflix all paid zero dollars in federal income tax. This isn’t a flaw; it’s the design.

In a rational society, tax collection would be as simple as possible. The government already knows how much money you make. Your employer reports it, your bank reports it, and yet, for some reason, you are still expected to reconstruct the information yourself, under threat of penalties if you get it wrong. Meanwhile, corporations and the ultra-wealthy enjoy a labyrinthine tax code riddled with loopholes, deductions, and incentives that allow them to pay little or nothing, while middle-class workers pay thousands.

The complexity is no accident. The tax preparation industry thrives on confusion. In the U.S., companies like TurboTax and H&R Block have spent decades lobbying against simplified filing, ensuring that citizens remain dependent on their services. Other nations have no such issue. In Estonia, taxpayers file in minutes. In the Netherlands, tax authorities pre-fill returns with known income data, leaving only a quick confirmation. Even in the U.K., a “pay-as-you-earn” model spares most workers from annual filing altogether. The U.S., however, remains an outlier, where citizens are forced to act as unpaid accountants for the government, simply to determine what they already owe.

Psychologically, this tax burden extends beyond dollars and cents. It breeds anxiety, frustration, and resentment toward a system that feels intentionally adversarial. The mere act of filing becomes a source of dread, with people spending hours navigating forms, second-guessing deductions, and fearing audits. A system designed for ease would instead foster trust, efficiency, and compliance—encouraging people to pay their fair share without unnecessary suffering.

Therefore, under Folklaw:

Tax returns for the majority of individuals must be pre-filled by the government, with only minor verification required. The tax code must be radically simplified, eliminating unnecessary steps that complicate compliance.

Tax filing must be free and accessible, with no private companies allowed to profit from a deliberately complex system. The government must offer clear, simple, and direct communication regarding tax obligations, ensuring that all citizens understand their responsibilities without the need for paid assistance.

All tax loopholes, offshore accounts, and corporate deductions that allow the wealthy to avoid paying their fair share shall be eliminated. No individual or corporation shall be able to shift profits to tax havens or exploit obscure deductions to lower their tax liability below what an ordinary worker pays.

A progressive, airtight tax system will ensure that those who benefit most from the economy contribute proportionally.