When it comes to tax reform, keep it simple, Congress

In the midst of historic partisanship and inaction, our Congress has an unprecedented opportunity to get something done that benefits everyone. The mandate to reform our broken tax system transcends traditional political alliances. The first step toward true reform is simplification of our overly complex and burdensome tax code.

During my 30-year career in public accounting, my primary responsibility was assisting clients with their income tax filing requirements. The tax code has grown so complex, I found it was not uncommon for individuals to get conflicting advice from different tax professionals.

When the Internal Revenue Code was first created in 1913, the entire text of the Sixteenth Amendment and the Revenue Act totaled a mere 27 pages. Today, taxpayers are challenged by almost 75,000 pages of the code and related regulations.

Over the years, the complexity of our tax laws has grown at an exponential pace. Congress has made more than 5,900 changes to the code just since 2001.

Congress has created a labyrinth that is so replete with special interest exceptions, deductions, and allowances, that almost every taxpayer is forced to pay someone to assist with their filing requirements. According to the Taxpayer Advocate Service, 94 percent of individuals used a preparer or tax software to submit their returns.