taxes

The Local Roots of Marjorie Taylor Greene's "National Divorce" Rhetoric

by Michan Connor

To understand her embrace of secessionist rhetoric, don't look to the Civil War; look to the political conflict that erupted in Atlanta's suburbs in the 1990s and 2000s. 

The History of Consumption Taxes Shows GOP Won't Eliminate IRS

Consumption taxes are successful when they target luxury purchases and the rich. A broad-based consumption tax like the one proposed by House Republicans to replace the income tax would be suicidal to even bring to a vote. 

Democrats Must Counter GOP Hysteria about "Armies" of Tax Collectors

by Joseph J. Thorndike

Emphasizing the idea of "fiscal citizenship," of all Americans paying the fair share of taxes they owe, is the solution to fearmongering about jackbooted tax collectors. 

America's Taxes Used to be Public Information – The Rich Stopped That

Calvin Coolidge's Treasury Secretary Andrew Mellon briefly accepted public disclosure of tax bills in exchange for a lower top rate. The fact that the ultra-rich, like him, were shown to pay lower effective rates, ended the practice.

“Taxpayer Dollars”: The Origins of Austerity’s Racist Catchphrase

by Camille Walsh

The rhetoric of protecting "taxpayer dollars" hinges on a selective interpretation of who pays taxes that reinforces the privilege of affluent whites to have government follow their preferences. 

How the U.S. Tax Code Privileges White Families

by Dorothy A. Brown

The history of the married-filing-jointly tax return is one of affluent white families securing advantages through the tax code that working class families, including most Black taxpayers, were unable to realize. After the expansion of income taxation during World War II, this disparity became a significant source of inequality. 

NYT Reports Trump's Leaked Tax Returns

The report, based on Trump's leaked tax records, indicates that he routinely used business losses to avoid taxes, but also has significant mortgage debts due in the near future. 

When the Privileged Don’t Pay their Fair Share in Taxes, it Can Spark Revolution

by Christine Adams

The unfairness of the tax system, especially as the French government faced bankruptcy in the late 1780s, was one of the factors that triggered revolution in 1789. 

Stop Worrying about Protecting ‘Taxpayers.’ That Isn’t the Government’s Job.

by Lawrence B. Glickman

"Taxpayerism has perverted our political culture by denying the existence of a common good — or, perhaps, more accurately, by falsely defining that good, and even freedom itself, as low taxes for the rich and for corporations."

A Wealth Tax? Two Framers Weigh In

by Ray Raphael

Wealth taxes are on the current political table and hotly debated. All taxation was on the framers’ table as they considered a new constitution. What would they make of the measures we are considering now?

A century-old feud between millionaires is now key to getting Trump’s tax returns

The law at issue in the strife over Trump’s taxes arose from a bitter dispute between Mellon and Sen. James Couzens (R-Mich.), a deep-pocketed adversary on Capitol Hill, over the lawmaker’s investigation of the IRS.

Medieval Historian: Low Taxes Work

Ronald Reagan was a fan of Ibn Khaldun.

Trump’s Taxes Are Fair Game. Just Ask Warren Harding.

by Stephen Mihm

The Teapot Dome corruption scandal resulted in a 1924 law that gives the House Ways and Means Committee authority to demand returns.

Let’s Tax the Rich

by Lawrence Wittner

The public thinks they’re taxed too little and history shows the economy benefits when taxes are higher.

U.S. cruises toward record-breaking debt on Trump's watch

Congress’ recent tax and spending laws — along with ballooning costs of government programs have jacked up federal spending in President Donald Trump’s first term.

Don't Like Paying Taxes? It's an American Tradition.

by Suzy Evans

In the 1790s even George Washington faced a tax rebellion.  He put it down personally at the head of an army.

How Tax Policy Created the 1%

by Julia Ott

The Revenue Act of 1921 introduced a preferential or reduced tax rate on income from capital gains into the U.S. tax code, in a reversal of how policymakers had thought about different forms of income for several decades.

When Congress Made Taxes Fairer

by Bill Bradley

With President Trump now talking about overhauling the tax code, it’s worth reflecting on the last time Congress revamped the system: the Tax Reform Act of 1986.

Trump just promised the biggest tax cut in history

Here’s how big it would have to be.

All the Presidents' Taxes

by Kevin M. Kruse

As you file your taxes this week—and as the president talks up tax reform—get riled up all over again about his refusal to release his returns with a brief history of this now-discarded presidential tradition.