[ethbr1]

I would break US tax arguments down along a few axes. Individual political identities line up all over on different ones.

   - Progressive rate vs flat
   - Detailed vs simplified
   - Policy via taxes vs outside of them
   - Low taxes vs high taxes + benefits
   - Use tax (e.g. sales) vs income tax
   - Labor tax vs capital tax
   - Gov-cooperative filing vs adversarial

My read on how we got to where we are is (1) all politicians love byzantine tax codes, because it allows sneaking favors in without repercussions + (2) people love getting money.

Consequently, we get a convoluted tax code that advantages special interests who can lobby, sold and balanced with enough direct benefits to people that they're happy.

Which... is a complicated sausage, but doesn't seem like the worst way to resolve a fundamental tension?

And then everyone stares at the resulting Rorschach blot of de facto tax codes and sees what they want to see.

"Look, it's ridiculously complicated! That's why we need a simple, flat rate tax!"

"Look, it's ridiculously complicated! That's because the corporations/wealthy are trying to screw you over!"

[yieldcrv]

most people cant receive a benefit beyond the standard deduction or a poverty tax credit so they have no need to have an idea of … everything else