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Press Releases
Seals Offers Plan for Middle Class Tax Relief
Advocates Making Tax Code Simpler, Fairer for All Americans
April 14, 2008
ARLINGTON HEIGHTS—On the eve of the national tax filing deadline, Democratic Congressional Candidate Dan Seals met with community members in Arlington Heights on Monday to discuss his support for offering middle class families tax relief by making our tax code simpler and fairer. Highlighting the growing economic squeeze faced by middle class families, Seals vowed to support fiscally responsible tax reform that would target relief at those who need it most.
“The way of life for middle class Americans is at risk today,” Seals said. “For too many in our community, healthcare is too expensive, higher education is too costly, retirement is no longer secure, and homeownership is out of reach. Today, I am not just proposing a tax cut for middle class Americans—I am proposing a better tax code for all Americans.”
Citing the “Fair, Flat Tax” legislation sponsored by Rep. Rahm Emanuel, who has been a leader on tax reform issues in Congress, Seals pledged to help make our tax code fairer by repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) and abolishing the corporate tax loopholes that enable corporations to avoid paying their fair share of taxes. While the AMT was initially passed to ensure that wealthy Americans paid their fair share of taxes, it is projected to hit 30 million Americans by 2010 if it is not repealed.
Seals also discussed his support for tax simplification. Every year, Americans spend 6 billion hours and over $100 billion dollars on tax preparation. Seals advocated for simplifying the tax code by reducing the number of tax brackets from the current six to three- 15%, 25%, and 35% and ending the favoritism toward itemizers by tripling the standard deduction from $5,000 to $15,000 for individuals and $10,000 to $30,000 for married couples and offering a 10% tax credit to working and middle class families for state and local taxes paid.
“Our tax code is arduous, unfair, and ineffective,” Seals said. “Arduous because of the billions of hours spent on tax preparation, unfair because of the AMT’s toll on our middle class, and ineffective because of the tax loopholes and shelters that allow corporations to avoid paying taxes. The tax code I’ve outlined today is simple, fair, and effective. This is the kind of change we need on our tax code and it is the change that I will fight for as your congressman.”
Seals was introduced by Jennifer Clark, a Libertyville mom who does her family’s taxes every year. Clark discussed her fear that her family would be unable to save for her two daughters’ college tuition costs because of the AMT. Highlighting Rep. Mark Kirk’s support for tax policies that benefited the wealthiest Americans and corporations over the interests of middle class families, Clark emphasized that it was time for a change in representation for the 10th district.
“Like most middle class families, my husband and I are finding it hard to save for a college education for our two daughters,” Clark said. “Every year at tax time I live in fear that Congress will not pass legislation to ‘patch’ the alternative minimum tax, that my family will be hit with a bill for thousands of dollars in taxes, and that we will never be able to save enough to send our daughters through college. As a father and businessman, I know Dan will fight for the change we need on taxes and make sure our tax code works for families like mine, not just the wealthiest Americans.”
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