Since people so dislike taxes, many try to avoid them or even cheat. The IRS (a biased source) estimates revenue loss from underreporting income and over-reporting deductions and credits totals nearly $195 billion. In addition, income tax revenue is reduced by tax evasion in the underground (unreported) economy and the criminal sector. This must be huge, as crime includes drugs, robberies, gambling, and scams of all sorts. Many people must get some money that isn’t reported to the IRS on a W-2, 1099, or other form and “forget” to include it. Two outstanding women lawyers considered for U.S. attorney general before childless Janet Reno didn’t file W-2s for their child care workers or pay the employer’s half of workers’ Social Security and Medicare tax. Their employees, in turn, did not have to report their income or pay income tax on their earnings.

On April 30, 2001, The Josiah Bartlett Center for Public Policy hosted a half-day forum in Concord with the above title. For those unable to attend, I offer a summary of my own sense of the forum’s substance as follows.