An Alternative to our current US tax system?

I don't think I'm alone in thinking the US tax system seems overly complicated. It doesn't look like it really works. It discourages savings, makes running a business too complicated for some to consider, seems to favor those who can trick the system, and it requires an army of people in the IRS as well as a comparably large army of accountants.

"The President requested $12.6 billion to fund IRS's fiscal year (FY) 2011 operations, including $5.8 billion for enforcement, $4.1 billion for operations support, and $2.3 billion for taxpayer services." - U.S. Government Accountability Office

There have been a lot of ideas for simplifying the tax system. Criticisms are typically that they wouldn't generate enough revenue, they'd tax the poor unreasonably, or they too would be overly complicated.

The X Tax: The Progressive Consumption Tax America Needs? looks like a well thought out, interesting alternative that keeps these criticisms in mind. I'd be interested in hearing what others think of it.


"Good tax policy should be pro-growth, simple, and fair. An income tax, unlike a consumption tax, penalizes saving, which undermines economic growth and introduces complexity. An income tax is often thought to be fairer than a consumption tax, however, because it taxes saving, which is disproportionately done by higher-income individuals. In reality, however, a consumption tax can be designed to be as progressive as the current income tax. The Bradford X tax offers an attractive, if little-known, form of progressive consumption taxation."
- December 2008