First published 2001
The American income tax system bleeds billions of dollars each year while ordinary citizens shoulder an ever-growing burden. Donald L. Barlett examines how this crisis developed and why it continues to worsen. He traces the massive revenue losses that result when people simply refuse to file returns. He documents how tax obligations have gradually shifted away from wealthy individuals and corporations toward middle-class families. Barlett connects these trends to show how they reinforce each other, creating a system where those least able to avoid taxes end up paying the most. The book reveals the mechanics behind this transformation and explains why traditional enforcement methods have failed to stop it. Readers will understand how political and economic forces reshaped taxation in America and learn why the current system punishes compliance while rewarding avoidance.
Genres: business, american, economics, non-fiction, accounting, income-tax
Vibes: thought-provoking
Tropes: investigative-journalism
Setting: America, United States
Period: 20th-century, 21st-century
400 pages · Hardcover · G K Hall & Co