saden1, I don't think any suggested "flat tax" would truly be flat down to the last dollar. For example, see the Wikipedia entry:
Flat tax - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
There are options, but I think the most important is, as you mention, to get away from these phony tax shelters that favor the extremely rich. Like you said, they get enough puckering from the private sector, they don't need it from the gov't, too.