New Study Finds "Dramatic" Reduction Since 1960 In The Progressivity Of The Federal Tax System: Largest Reductions in Progressivity Occurred in 1980s and Since 2000

Publication Date: March 2007

Publisher: Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (Washington, D.C.)

Author(s): Aviva Aron-Dine

Research Area: Banking and finance; Economics

Keywords: Economic projections; Income diversity; Economic inequality; Tax code

Type: Report

Abstract:

In a new study, Thomas Piketty and Emmanuel Saez, economists who have done groundbreaking work on the historical evolution of income inequality in the United States, examine how the progressivity of the federal tax system has changed over time. Unlike previous analyses, theirs examines effective federal tax rates going back to 1960, including income, payroll, corporate, and estate taxes, and provides data for income groups reaching up to the top one-hundredth of one percent (.01 percent) of the population. Several crucial findings emerge from their study