@toddgrotenhuis The tax code is enormously complex. (I had to take the damn tax section of the CPA exam twice!) This is, I believe, because it was built to be incomprehensible to all except professionals and with plenty of room for technical changes that shunt more money to the wealthy. The love of money is the root of tax code complexity. Also, RIP Graeber.
@toddgrotenhuis Interesting. But I don’t understand how consumer taxes/fees can be made progressive? Also, there seem to have been a defunding of the governmental services ever since Reagan took office, and I believe that this, and the many wars the US have started/engaged in has done more damage than the income tax has ever done. For reference: we have on average around 33% income tax, 25% consumer fees on every purchase except consumables (15%), and some minor others (12%). I don’t se our government as a “big government”, if anything, there’s too few hands offering people the services they need. I wish the wealth tax were more progressive, with a higher point of entry though.