End federal tax on income

To the editor:

Tax forms, rules and regulations are purposefully made complicated. This frustrates most Americans. We rely on news and talk shows to tell us what has changed and what it can mean for us, and we rely on our tax consultants to prepare our tax forms correctly. We tend to accept what we don't understand without question. Anyone who does question is often portrayed as selfish and unpatriotic.

Withholding taxes from our paychecks, another excellent bureaucratic tactic, tends to keep us oblivious to the total amount extracted. Those who receive a refund on their withholding at the end of the year perceive it as a gift not associated with earnings that were taken and held without paying interest, then returned after the taxpayer has proved it was really his money after all.

I believe government bureaucracy is too large, intrusive and manipulative. I believe we should reform the IRS. Let's really eliminate the paperwork and end federal tax on income. Let the government bureaucracy reduce spending and live on the other revenue it collects. Let individuals keep the money they earn to spend, save, give away and invest as they please. The wealth and continued high living standard created by the can-do attitude of Americans depends on it.

MARY NALL

Marble Hill, Mo.