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THE CALIFORNIA SIMPLE TAX

 Spread the word about Our Initiative

PRESS RELEASES:

The following press releases relate specifically to our proposal:

• 8/13/2003 - CALIFORNIA SIMPLE TAX: OFFICIAL TITLE AND SUMMARY OF THE MEASURE AS RECEIVED FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE

• 7/04/03 - COMMENTARY: IRS ANNOUNCES NEW 10% FLAT INCOME TAX RATE - DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH

• 5/17/03 - UNITED CALIFORNIANS FOR TAX REFORM ANNOUNCE A SIGNATURE DRIVE TO PLACE AN ALTERNATIVE INCOME TAX RATE BEFORE THE VOTERS

• 4/13/2003 - CALIFORNIA SIMPLE TAX PROPOSAL

The full text of each press release, beginning with the most recent, has been printed below for your convenience. 

August 13, 2003 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Roland Boucher 14252 Culver Drive #728, Irvine CA 92604 949-552-9174 or Roland@CalSimpleTax.org GOVERNMENT: CALIFORNIA SIMPLE TAX: OFFICIAL TITLE AND SUMMARY OF THE MEASURE AS RECEIVED FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE ALTERNATIVE INCOME TAX RATE, INITIATIVE STATUTE  Amends California’s income tax law to provide an alternative standard deduction and tax rate for taxpayers with adjusted gross income for the taxable year of $50,000 or less for individuals, and $100,000 for married couples filing jointly. Qualifying taxpayers may choose to take a deduction equal to California's minimum wage effective for the taxable year, multiplied by 1,040 for individuals, or multiplied by 2,080 for married couples filing jointly, and pay 2.5% tax on the adjusted amount.  Directs the Franchise Tax Board to prepare a form for use by taxpayers.  Summary of estimate by Legislative Analyst and Director of Finance of fiscal impact on state and local governments:  The measure would have the following major fiscal effects: Reduction in state income tax revenues of approximately 900 million in 2004-05 and 700 million annually thereafter. The Simple Tax is Simple The California Simple Tax gives taxpayers the opportunity to compute their taxes on a simple, one page tax form and following a simple six page instruction set instead of being forced to interpret the 63 pages of nearly unintelligible instruction provided with today’s 540 form. The Simple Tax Reduces Record Keeping No longer would taxpayers be forced to waste a tremendous amount of time and effort to keep financial records just to protect themselves from the government in case of future audit. All data needed to comply with the proposed tax would come from a third party such as banks, employers, etc. eliminating the need for an audit. The Simple Tax May Reduce your Taxes This Measure will allow taxpayers who do not claim itemized tax deductions to pay no more than the average tax imposed at their income level. Since taxpayers will now have the choice of selecting the tax form which provides for the lowest rate of tax, the revenue to the State from the Personal Income Tax may be reduced two or three percent. There will be a slight reduction in the cost of tax collection and many taxpayers will no longer require assistance in tax preparation. The Simple Tax builds on Existing Tax Reforms In 2000 California State Controller Kathleen Connell introduced the 540-2EZ postcard sized Tax Form which was well received by the 2 million taxpayers who were allowed to use it. We build on this reform by allowing the 3.5 million Seniors over 65 and the nearly 8 million Taxpayers who claim the Standard Deduction to use our new tax form. The Simple Tax provides relief to over 10 million Taxpayers Today 30 percent of tax filers chose to itemize their deductions. these Itemized deductions increase in value with increased income. The current Tax Code imposes ever increasing tax brackets (4%,6%, 8%, & 9.3%) on these taxpayers to counteract the benefits of the itemized deductions allowed them. We expect to induce many of these taxpayers to use the CA Simple Tax Form by raising their standard deduction allowed and limiting the tax rate to 2.5 percent. | PRINTER-FRIENDLY COPY |

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July 4, 2003 COMMENTARY by Roland Boucher Chairman, United Californians for Tax Reform 14252 Culver Drive #728, Irvine CA 92604 949-552-9174 or Roland@CalSimpleTax.org IRS Announces New 10% flat rate income tax; no citizen who earns less than the salary of a congressman need pay more.   Don’t hold your breath! My friends, no matter how hard we wish it were true, there is little we can do about Federal Tax Rates. Fortunately, those of us who live in California have a secret weapon ... the voter initiative process. With it we can undo any idiotic rule or regulation our elected Legislature and Governor attempt to impose on us. Today our California tax code imposes a tax rate of 9.3 percent on middle class citizens who earn less than half of the $100,000 salary our legislature pays itself. Meanwhile they have created so many loopholes and tax credits for their favorite campaign contributors that the average tax collected by all Californians who earn under $100,000 is less than 2 percent. This is an outrage!!  But wait ... Help is on the way!! The CAL Simple Tax Committee is circulating an initiative petition to limit the tax rate to 2.5 percent for every California family which earns less than $100,000. It will also grant each family a generous standard deduction equal to one years earning at the minimum wage ($14,040). Since the state collects about 1/4 of the taxes collected by the IRS in California this initiative is equivalent to the 10% tax of our tongue in cheek announcement. But wait ... Won’t this bankrupt the state?? Hardly; while many middle class taxpayers will see a substantial reduction in their taxes, State tax revenue will be reduced by less than 1 percent. The problem with California’s budget is spending, not revenue. California personal income tax collections nearly doubled since Governor Gray Davis was elected. It was spending that spiraled out of control. If spending had been held to the same levels they were when Governor Davis took office, we would be facing a 20 billion dollar surplus - not a 38 billion dollar deficit. My friends, we can’t force the legislature to act as responsible stewards of the public purse, but we can, through the initiative process, treat them like the spoiled brats that they collectively are, and put them on an allowance. Our initiative petition is designed to do just that. Please help yourself to responsible taxation, sign our petition and ask your friends to do so as well. The power is in your hands. Roland Boucher, Chairman www.CalSimpleTax.org  | PRINTER-FRIENDLY COPY |

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May 17, 2003 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Roland Boucher 14252 Culver Drive #728, Irvine CA 92604 949-552-9174 or Roland@CalSimpleTax.org GOVERNMENT: UNITED CALIFORNIANS FOR TAX REFORM ANNOUNCE A SIGNATURE DRIVE TO PLACE AN ALTERNATIVE INCOME TAX RATE BEFORE THE VOTERS IRVINE, CALIF. - CA Simple Tax will offer middle class taxpayers the choice of filing a simple one page tax form with simple instructions at tax filing time. It will Simplify your record keeping Gone will be today’s 63 pages of unintelligible instructions. There will be no need to keep financial records (W2 and 1099 federal forms are all you will need). The Standard deduction will be raised to $7020 for single filers and &14,040 for married couples filing jointly; there will be no need to itemize your deductions.  Simple! It will Simplify your Tax Computations Add up how much money you earned.  Subtract the standard deduction.  Multiply the adjusted amount by 0.025.  It's that Simple! It will protect you from future audit Every dollar amount entered on the simple form comes from an employer or a financial institution. If the dollar amounts are wrong its their fault, not yours. It may reduce your taxes The average rate of tax paid by taxpayers who earn less than $100,000 dollars is less than 2.0%. if you are paying more than this you may be paying for another persons tax break. The Simple Tax establishes a single 2.5% rate and an increased standard deduction. The Simple Tax eliminates the 4, 6, 8, and 9.3 % tax rates. It saves taxpayers $900 million. What can you do to help? Visit our website to download the Petition.  You can gather signatures or simply sign and mail the petition for yourself.  http://www.calsimpletax.org  You can also visit our website to learn more about our proposal or make a financial contribution to our effort. Thank you! | PRINTER-FRIENDLY COPY |

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April 13, 2003 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact Roland Boucher 14252 Culver Drive #728, Irvine CA 92604 949-552-9174 or Roland@CalSimpleTax.org GOVERNMENT: CALIFORNIA SIMPLE TAX PROPOSAL IRVINE, CALIF. - United Californians for Tax Reform (UCTR) announces plans to circulate a petition, via the Internet, to place the following initiative statute before the voters for the March 2004 primary election. The California Attorney General has confirmed receipt of the proposed initiative which has been assigned file No. SA2003RF0010. We expect to receive the final Title and Summary as well as permission to circulate petitions on or before May 16, 2003. Suggested Title  California Simple Tax Suggested Summary of the Measure Taxpayers will have the option of calculating their income tax by using a single rate of 2.5% after applying a standard deduction and filing a simple, one-page return, if their income (1) does not exceed $100,000 in the case of a married person filing jointly, or $50,000 in the case of a single person, and (2) consists only of wages, salaries, tips, taxable interest, taxable dividends or taxable pensions. The standard deduction for taxpayers filing jointly shall be equal to the hourly minimum wage multiplied by 2080 (currently $14,040) or one-half that amount for taxpayers filing singly ($ 7020). The Simple Tax is Simple The California Simple Tax gives taxpayers the opportunity to compute their taxes on a simple, one page tax form and following a simple six page instruction set instead of being forced to interpret the 63 pages of nearly unintelligible instruction provided with today’s 540 form. The Simple Tax Reduces Record Keeping No longer would taxpayers be forced to waste a tremendous amount of time and effort to keep financial records just to protect themselves from the government in case of future audit. All data needed to comply with the proposed tax would come from a third party such as banks, employers, etc. eliminating the need for an audit. The Simple Tax May Reduce your Taxes This Measure will allow taxpayers who do not claim itemized tax deductions to pay no more than the average tax imposed at their income level. Since taxpayers will now have the choice of selecting the tax form which provides for the lowest rate of tax, the revenue to the State from the Personal Income Tax may be reduced two or three percent. There will be a slight reduction in the cost of tax collection and many taxpayers will no longer require assistance in tax preparation. The Simple Tax builds on Existing Tax Reforms In 2000 California State Controller Kathleen Connell introduced the 540-2EZ postcard sized Tax Form which was well received by the 2 million taxpayers who were allowed to use it. We build on this reform by allowing the 3.5 million Seniors over 65 and the nearly 8 million Taxpayers who claim the Standard Deduction to use our new tax form. The Simple Tax provides relief to over 10 million Taxpayers Today 30 percent of tax filers chose to itemize their deductions. these Itemized deductions increase in value with increased income. The current Tax Code imposes ever increasing tax brackets (4%,6%, 8%, & 9.3%) on these taxpayers to counteract the benefits of the itemized deductions allowed them. We expect to induce many of these taxpayers to use the CA Simple Tax Form by raising their standard deduction allowed and limiting the tax rate to 2.5 percent. | PRINTER-FRIENDLY COPY |

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