There's an old saying, "the power to tax is the power to destroy." Libertarians take that to heart. Taxing income is taxing productivity, we support productivity so we're against income taxes, and especially withholding since it hides the bite of the income tax.

Government can only do something if there's money to pay for it, which is a prime reason to keep taxes as low as possible. The more government interferes with commerce and life in general, the more harm it does. America started with a revolt over taxes, which were less than 5% of our total income. Today, taxation consumes up to 50% of our personal income and about 20% of our GNP.

Where at all possible, libertarians prefer to see government services paid for with user fees and tariffs. Those who use a service should be the ones paying for it. Taxation should also be transparent and obvious, which is one reason a sales tax is preferable to an income tax, since you see it every time you go shopping and you can have some control over how much tax you pay by adjusting your spending habits. Taxes should also be as simple as possible. A flat tax is much preferable to a graduated tax, and a plethora of deductions and credits only serves to give one segment of the population preferential treatment over another, which is against the American ideal of equality under the law.

We are fortunate to live in New Hampshire. Our state imposes one of the lowest tax burdens in the country and we want to keep it that way. Low taxes encourage productivity and investment. They keep the bureaucracy at bay. And generally make life more pleasant all around.