Currently about the only thing our tax code does well is provide guaranteed employment for CPAs and people working for tax preparation companies. It doesn't even provide enough revenue to cover government spending. While a massive overhaul of the entire tax code is needed, providing greater transparency can help improve the discussion until the time when someone is ready to develop a serious tax plan that is simpler and fairer than what we have now. (Any serious proposal needs to be developed jointly by members of all major parties, not just one party trying to appease its lunatic fringe.)