Philadelphia – House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp (R-MI) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) met today with Philadelphia area small business owners to hear the challenges they face in dealing with America’s broken tax code.

“Washington is a bit of a bubble. We believe it’s important to get out and meet with people one-on-one to hear their concerns. We want to know what people think about the nation’s tax system,” Baucus and Camp said in a joint statement.

For the second stop on their nationwide outreach effort to promote tax reform, Baucus and Camp today visited Mrs. G TV and Appliances, a third generation, family-owned business in Lawrenceville, N.J. as well as The Hub Centers for Meeting and Collaboration in Philadelphia.

After a tour of Mrs. G’s, Baucus and Camp gathered around a countertop inside a kitchen design showroom to listen to concerns about the complexity of the individual tax code. Debbie Schaeffer, president of Mrs. G’s, told Baucus and Camp of the challenges she faces as a small business owner dealing with the tax code.  Senator Baucus noted that there are 31 different definitions of a “small business” in the tax code.

“There may be 31 definitions of a small business in the tax code, but the real definition is right here in Lawrenceville,” Baucus said.  “It is defined by the hard work and dedication by the people here at Mrs. G’s.”

“The only thing people dread more than filling out tax forms is the fear that they’ll make a mistake and then be a target of an audit.  Whether it’s for a small business like Mrs. G’s or for a family, filing taxes is expensive, time-consuming and confusing,” Camp said.  “We have an opportunity to change all that so that the tax code is fairer and easier to comply with — for families and businesses of all sizes.”

Today’s meetings were the second in a series of conversations Baucus and Camp are having as part of their outreach efforts on tax reform.  The Chairmen of Congress’ two tax-writing committees plan to visit communities across the nation throughout the summer to hear directly from the American people about the need to improve their experience with the tax system.