Washington, D.C. – Congressman Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) today released the following statement regarding Tax Day and reforming our nation’s tax code:

“The president’s annual budget has repeatedly shown that he and his party have no interest in fixing our nation’s tax code or even reforming the IRS – an agency that goes above and beyond its mission when it comes to targeting Americans for their religious beliefs but loses billions of dollars every year in fraudulent refunds and cybertheft,” said Congressman Lucas. “These failures are symptomatic of an agency that has become too large and too bureaucratic to carry out its original mission. Taxpayers are shelling out billions of dollars and countless hours to simply comply with our nation’s tax code.

“For families, this is money that could go towards paying the bills and time that could be better spent with their children. For small businesses, these expenses could be the difference between hiring more employees or investing in new capital.

“Tax Day reminds us that there is a real need for tax reform in this country and for years I have advocated for a simpler and fairer tax system, one that encourages economic growth and does not require the help of expensive professionals to decipher. I look forward to continuing this debate and pushing for commonsense reforms to help Oklahomans keep more of their hard earned dollars.”