James B. Stewart Quotes

The nation should have a tax system that looks like someone designed it on purpose.

Everybody gets ticked off about GE paying no taxes. Look, we have a complicated, convoluted tax system. And only big corporations and wealthy individuals like Warren Buffett can take advantage of it. We need to simplify and flatten the code, get rid of all the loopholes.

We can fight over what the taxation levels should be, but the tax system should be very, very simple and not distortionary.

The problem with wanting the tax code to be 'simpler, fairer,' and 'pro-growth' is that it's impossible to achieve all three at the same time.

To me, there are four F's in a good tax system: it ought to be flatter, fairer, finite and family-friendly.

Multi-millionaires who pay half or less than half of the percentage of tax the rest of us pay justify their actions by saying they pay what the law requires. Though true, the fact is they found ways within the law to beat the purpose of the law - which, in the case of taxes, is that we all pay our fair share.

We need to lower tax rates for everybody, starting with the top corporate tax rate. We need to simplify the tax code. The ultimate answer, in my opinion, is the fair tax, which is a fair tax for everybody, because as long as we still have this messed-up tax code, the politicians are going to use it to reward winners and losers.

Distribute taxes among all in a fair and equitable manner and make them general, not exempting anyone because of his noble rank or great riches, nor even exempting your own officials or courtiers or followers. Do not levy on anyone a tax which is beyond his capacity to pay…

We need a tax code where everyone pays his fair share.

I don’t think our tax system is very equitable.

Tax fairness is very difficult to achieve. Each individual says, ‘Tax codes which make others pay more is fair to me. If I have to pay more, the code is unfair’.

Making the rich pay the same tax rates on their investment earnings that the rest of us pay on our earnings would be a good start [towards tax reform].

To me, a tax heaven is where everyone pays their fair share. In that respect, I am not quite sure we are in tax heaven yet.

Democrats must rally behind a low-rate, broad-based tax system that is fair, simple and efficient.

Implementing the so-called 'Buffett Rule' would restore some badly needed fairness to our tax system.

Fundamentally, I've always been a fan of actually looking at our whole state tax system and really figuring out how we reform our tax system so that everyone's paying their fair share but we don't have a lot of nickel and diming with 100 taxes that end up hitting people that maybe can't bear it the most.

I think the notion of tax fairness is the reasonable thing to do.

I think we should have basically the same tax policy that Germany, Japan, the U.K., everybody else has, which is a tax rate in the mid-20s and no loopholes. Zero. The U.S. has the most antiquated tax system. And that means some people are going to pay more taxes, and some people are going to pay less.

Wealthy people don't even pay taxes. But everybody must pay taxes.

I think it's a little unfair for people to say you're not paying your fair share of taxes. I'm paying what I'm supposed to pay. Change the law, and I'll pay what I'm supposed to pay.

And it would be fair. Everyone will pay the same tax and it will eliminate tax cheaters and corporate shenanigans.

I favor the abolition of all Social Security, Medicare and estate taxes. In their place, we should create a simple income tax system that has no deductions or credits at all.

What I want to do is make certain that no one's taxes go up. Let's look at cleaning up the tax code.

I think that taxes would be fair if we first get rid of the tax code. This is the ultimate solution, not to just say we're going to trim around the edges, not to say that we will try to simplify a little of this and a little of that. The problem is, replace the tax code, so we can establish tax fairness for everybody.

The 9-9-9 plan would resuscitate this economy because it replaces the outdated tax code that allows politicians to pick winners and losers, and to provide favors in the form of tax breaks, special exemptions and loopholes. It simplifies the code dramatically: 9% business flat tax, 9% personal flat tax, 9% sales tax.