Gilded Age Taxation

By Robert Borosage, Eric Lotke and Hillary Hampton
Institute for America's Future

April 13th, 2009

The problem isn’t taxes. The problem is who pays taxes and who gets the benefits.

The federal tax code becomes less fair every year. Thirty years ago, the tax code was broadly progressive, reflecting shared contributions to public investments and our common good. Loopholes were fewer and covered such items as home mortgages that everyone could understand and appreciate.