The IRS scandal has had many of my friends discussing the American tax system in recent days.

Aside from the most blindly left wing people I know, everyone agrees that the progressive tax system punishes success and is far too complex, to the point of inviting abuses like the current targeting of conservative groups.

The argument I keep hear against changing it, however, is that the rich should pay more.

Putting aside the Marxist undertones of the argument I am amazed at the lack of basic math both sides are capable of.

Both proposed alternative would still have the rich paying more.

A flat tax of say, 15% would still have the rich paying a larger amount, 15% of a million is more than 15% of 40,000, after all.

Also, a consumption tax would also have the rich paying more. The rich buy bigger, more expensive cars, homes, planes, ect. Again, a rich person buying a 16 million dollar home would pay more taxes on it than a middle class family spending $100,000 on their home if they both were subject to the same 15% consumption tax.

The rich will pay more wither it’s a progressive system or a fair system, so how about we give a simple tax code that treats everyone the same?

After all, if were talking about fair shares here, how is it fair that someone’s share is less than zero, or that the person actually paying into the system is punished for becoming more successful?

Andrew Montalvo is a KFYO Talkshow Producer.  Let him know what you think in the comments below

More From News/Talk 95.1 & 790 KFYO