How Confusing is the Tax Code? Even the IRS Chief Gets Help

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If you want to generate adverse opinion it doesn't hurt to exaggerate, or even outright lie. The Tax Code which is Title 26 of the United States Codes is a whopping 3,837 pages long. If you want to include the Title 26, Code of Federal Regulations, the application of the Federal Tax Code you're into 15,460 pages. Either one of which is not in the neighborhood of 70,000 pages and the bulk of the Code and CFR applies to the administration of the "working body" of the US Code. Don't want to burst anybody's bubble but when honesty goes out the window we're left with dishonesty.

Willers of OR 3:26PM July 31, 2012

You ever call the toll free number. Without exception, you are on hold for at least 30 minutes and typically 45 minutes or longer. And it does not matter if you are the taxpayer, a CPA or attorney. These calls are typically to resolve issues and it is plain frustrating. Ever since the IRS centralized services, it is next to impossible to get help. And the phone number does have to do with paying taxes. Typically it is to resolve an issue raised in an IRS notice, letter, etc.

Bill of OK 12:47AM April 24, 2010

A overwhelming majority of those 70,000 pages have nothing to do with working class families in this country.

JDZ57 of WI 10:19PM April 21, 2010

unless they also call for much higher rates at the high end (which Republicans will NEVER do). If you hear a Republican calling for simplification, you are hearing yet another call for reducing taxes at the high end----the very thing that, since 1981, has been increasingly eliminating your middle-class jobs and bankrupting your federal government.
There are always those out there who will say we should just have a simple "flat" tax, perhaps something like a "flat 20%" that could qualify for that TV ad favorite, "So easy a caveman could do it". Trust me, most of your tax code is based upon defining the amount of income that is subject to tax---especially in any incorporated business setting--not on how many tax rates you have or the application of those rates from a table. I know this because I spent many, many years as an accountant for a corporation (which became an S-corp) and its shareholders.
Trust me, also, the practical effect of the flat tax would be to force all those paying less than a real 20% of everything they make in federal income tax (a majority of citizens) to pay more----so that those at the high end could---guess what?---pay less.
As for this article, it would not take a genious to recoqnize that the reason the IRS commissioner gets a professional tax preparer (if he does) would be to avoid any potential embarrassment from accidentally goofing up his return. He is covering his tail at work, and that's all.

Muser of NM 6:30PM April 21, 2010