Governor Tim Pawlenty to Congress - Prepare Your Own Tax Returns and See How You Like It

On Tuesday night I watched an interesting interview of Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty by Greta Van Susteren, anchor of "On the Record" for the Fox News Channel. Here is the gist of Governor Pawlenty's remarks with regard to our wonderful Internal Revenue Code:

• Each member of Congress should be forced to prepare their own income tax returns without the help of an accountant, legal assistant or lawyer.
• Once members realize that they can't actually do their own taxes because the Internal Revenue Code is too convoluted, then they can sign a hardship exemption which states something to the effect that "I can't prepare my own taxes because the tax code is too complicated and ridiculous."
• If members of Congress are forced to do their own taxes based on our "9,000 page ridiculous tax code," then this should drive them to get the tax code changed.

I absolutely love this idea. In fact, members of Congress should also be forced to prepare estate tax returns and gift tax returns to see how they like that too.

View the entire interview: FOX News: Greta Van Susteren talks to Tim Pawlenty

• When is a Federal Estate Tax Return Required to Be Filed?
• When is a Gift Tax Return Required to Be Filed?