Appointed in January, 2005 by President Bush, the advisory panel issued its final report on November 1, 2005.
In a transmittal letter to the Secretary of the Treasury, the panel wrote: "Our tax code is rewritten so often that it should be drafted in pencil. Each year, the tax code is adjusted to meet multiple policy goals[.] Since the 1986 tax reform bill passed, there have been nearly 15,000 changes to the tax code[.] In retrospect, it is clear that frequent changes to the tax code, no matter how well-intentioned, ultimately undermine the integrity of the code[.]
[W]hile it is relatively straightforward to point out flaws in a tax system and to express a desire for change, it is much more challenging to settle on a specific solution. ...
We unanimously recommend two options to reform the tax code .... the Simplified Income Tax Plan and ... the Growth and Investment Tax Plan. ...
Many stand waiting to defend their breaks, deductions, and loopholes, and to defeat our efforts. ... This report aims to give voice to the frustrated American taxpayer and to provdie a blueprint for lasting reform."