During a town hall on CNN on Thursday, 2024 Republican presidential candidate Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated that he wants to eliminate the IRS and a flat income tax rate “would be the ideal tax system to be able to do, take away the distortions.” But he’d only do a flat rate if it resulted in “lower taxes for everybody.”
Host Kaitlan Collins asked, “If you were president, would you eliminate the federal income tax?”
DeSantis responded, “Oh, can I stop dreaming? Wouldn’t you like to eliminate the IRS and have — ? What I would want is — I think I would eliminate the IRS, have a single rate, and just do like a flat tax. I think that would be the ideal tax system to be able to do, take away the distortions. And what happens is — Florida is a good example of this — we have low tax and we cut taxes, and yet, we attract more investment and our economic base expands. So, I run these big budget surpluses where we’re paying down debt by lowering rates. I think you look at some of the other states that are high-tax states, they tax, they cause businesses to flee and individuals to flee, then they go back to the well and they tax more, and it’s like a vicious cycle. So, low rates, broad base ultimately is the best and most conducive to economic growth.”
Collins then followed up, “But you would push to eliminate the federal income tax?”
DeSantis answered, “I want to eliminate the IRS, and I would like a flat, one single rate flat tax. Obviously, I would only do it if it was lower taxes for everybody. But that is the ideal tax system.”
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