PROFESSOR GLENN HARLAN REYNOLDS AND ABOLISHING THE INCOME TAX
Glenn Harlan Reynolds serves as the Beauchamp Brogan Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of Tennessee College of Law. Reynolds is widely recognized for his expertise in constitutional law, technology law, and space law. He has published extensively in leading academic journals and popular outlets such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.
Professor Reynolds wrote an article entitled Abolishing the Income Tax on his substack. Here are some of his points:
- One of the most immediate benefits for individual taxpayers would be the elimination of time spent on tax-related activities. The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimates that the average individual taxpayer spends approximately 13 hours per year preparing and filing their federal income tax return.
- For the roughly 150 million individual tax returns filed annually, this translates to nearly 2 billion hours collectively spent on tax preparation.
- If personal income tax were eliminated, this time could be redirected to more productive or personally fulfilling activities.
- A taxpayer earning the median U.S. hourly wage of approximately $30 could effectively "save" $390 worth of time annually (13 hours × $30/hour). For higher earners or those with more complex tax situations—such as self-employed individuals or those with investment income—the time savings could be even greater, often exceeding 20–30 hours per year due to additional forms and schedules.
- Moreover, the time spent on tax preparation does not account for ongoing record-keeping throughout the year. Taxpayers must track income, deductions, charitable contributions, and other financial activities, often requiring hours of organization and documentation.
- Beyond the quantifiable hours, the mental and emotional effort required to comply with the U.S. tax code is substantial. The federal tax code is notoriously complex. This complexity forces many taxpayers to expend significant cognitive effort to understand their obligations, identify deductions, and avoid errors that could trigger audits or penalties.
- The financial costs of tax compliance represent another significant burden for individual taxpayers. These expenses include payments to tax professionals, software purchases, and other out-of-pocket costs associated with filing returns. According to the IRS, approximately 60% of taxpayers hire a professional to prepare their returns, while 30% use tax preparation software (https://www.irs.gov/statistics/filing-season-statistics). The average cost of professional tax preparation ranges from $150 to $300, depending on the complexity of the return, as reported by the National Society of Accountants (https://www.nsacct.org/tax-prep-fees). For those using software, costs typically range from $30 to $100 per year.
- For the 150 million tax returns filed annually, these costs add up quickly. Assuming an average professional fee of $200 for 90 million returns (60% of filers) and an average software cost of $50 for 45 million returns (30% of filers), the total direct cost of tax preparation exceeds $20 billion annually ($18 billion for professionals + $2.25 billion for software). Eliminating personal income tax would erase these expenses entirely, putting billions of dollars back into taxpayers' pockets.
- The Tax Foundation estimates that the total compliance cost of the U.S. tax system, including both individual and business taxes, exceeds $400 billion per year.
- A study by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University suggests that simplifying tax compliance could increase GDP by up to 1% annually by reducing deadweight losses associated with tax administration.
- The elimination of personal income tax would represent a significant simplification of life for most Americans.
CONCLUSION
Professor Reynolds does not address the strain and financial cost of dealing with the IRS. Few can argue with the points he made about the benefits that Americans will receive if the IRS is abolished.
While some believe that the government can be funded from tariff revenues, most economists recognize that that’s not really feasible. Exporters to the United States will find a way to avoid or greatly reduce the costs of tariffs and this will quickly and dramatically reduce revenue to the U.S. Treasury.
What we need is a well-researched replacement plan that is ready to be implemented—The FAIRtax. The FAIRtax is a national retail sales tax on new retail goods and retail services that also does the following:
- Replaces the government revenue now being collected by the income and payroll tax.
- Gives each of us our whole paycheck and lets us decide how much federal tax we pay by how much we spend on new retail goods and retail services.
- Eliminates all federal taxes on income and all federal tax returns for individuals and businesses.
- Provides a family allowance that exempts purchases up to the poverty level from taxation making it a progressive sales tax.
- Is administered by the states and eliminates the need for the IRS.
- Brings jobs and manufacturing back to the U.S.
- Permanently ensures the solvency of Social Security and Medicare.
In President Trump, we have a President who sees that the corrupt and incomprehensible income/payroll tax system must be eliminated if America is once again going to be free and prosperous.
It is imperative, though, that we don’t replace the current income tax and the IRS with an alternative system that can still be manipulated by the Ruling Elite.
We must let Congress and the President know that the best way to replace the income tax and the IRS is with the FAIRtax.
Make no mistake about it. The FAIRtax is a grave threat to the Ruling Elites. It will strip them of their power and their ability to control us though the tax system. Their opposition to the FAIRtax will be fierce and unrelenting. And don’t think for an instant that they won’t use half-truths, deception and downright lies in their desperate attempt to hang on to their power.
However, with the support of this President, we can finally eliminate the income tax and the IRS!!!
Of course, the best course of action is to not only repeal the income tax and abolish the IRS but to repeal the 16th Amendment as well so no future administration can ever shackle the American people with an income tax again.
We must come together and ensure that real tax reform, the FAIRtax, is not subverted by the Elites in D.C.
This will take the diligent efforts of all of us. We need your financial assistance, and we need your grass roots assistance.
If you have contacts that will allow us to get more information to President Trump about the FAIRtax please let us know.
Please email us at info@fairtax.org and we will give you some options on how you can best help us.
At a minimum, please call your Congressional representative and ask if he or she supports the FAIRtax. If so, thank him/her for their support and suggest they become a cosponsor of HR-25 if they’re not one already. If not, ask why not. If your representative claims to be unfamiliar with the FAIRtax, offer to have someone come to their office and explain it to them.
Please go to this link to invest in AFFT and help us pass the FAIRtax. It’s an investment in your and your family’s future.
THE SOLUTION—PASS THE FAIRTAX!
Why would D.C. pass the FAIRtax and give up this almost unlimited source of donations? The only way that they will is if the rest of us demand it!
Isn’t it time to end this ludicrous tax collection system and the IRS?
HELP BRING ABOUT REAL TAX REFORM AND STOP FUTURE IRS ABUSES
By contributing (investing) $10.40 per month, you help provide a financial base to AFFT. If you can make larger contributions (investments), these will be used not for salaries, as we are all volunteers, but for the needed updates to our economic studies which will be vital for all future years.
Please go to this link to invest in AFFT and help us pass the FAIRtax. It’s an investment in your and your family’s future.