Topic: Flat Tax

Massachusetts maintains a flat 5.3% income tax due to constitutional prohibitions against graduated rates. Residents also face a 6.25% sales tax, high property taxes, and numerous administrative fees for services ranging from ferry rides to gun license renewals.

Steve Lane continues interviewing people in the tax filing line, noting that owners of luxury vehicles like BMWs are the least likely to speak on camera. He observes people violating traffic laws in their rush to meet the midnight deadline, which he attributes to fear of the IRS. While some filers express a preference for a flat tax, most simply express anger and a sense of powerlessness.

Roger Blakely, a student and law firm clerk, discusses why he believes the current tax system is unfair to lower-income individuals. He advocates for a national sales tax over a flat tax, arguing it would eliminate the massive IRS bureaucracy. Blakely suggests a graduated sales tax to protect the poor, though he acknowledges this might reintroduce some level of form-filling and government oversight.