– America’s tax system is just barely progressive, with room for improvement to combat economic, wealth, and racial inequality.
– The share of all taxes paid by the rich slightly exceeds the share of total income they receive.
– The share of all taxes paid by the poor is slightly less than the share of income received by the poor.
– The tax system would appear less progressive if it included unrealized capital gains.
– Federal tax system is relatively progressive, while state and local taxes are mostly regressive.
– Federal personal income tax, corporate income tax, and estate tax are considered progressive.
– Payroll tax, including Social Security tax, is not particularly progressive.
– Tax laws enacted over the past 25 years have made the tax system less progressive.
– Some politicians claim the tax system is too progressive, but data shows it is not as progressive as claimed.
– President Biden has proposed tax reforms to raise trillions in new revenue.
– The IRS has documented that hundreds of billions of federal taxes owed each year go unpaid due to underreporting of income.