Welcome to our current system of taxation. You know the simple process of picking dependents, spouses, claimants, merchants, clergy, politicians, hobbits, muggles, bigots, tempests, magistrates, and pets that all qualify you for various tax breaks.

ax reform is Washington's latest answer for the discontent Americans feel with national politics and their own economic prospects. Several presidential hopefuls have promised to replace the current system with a new flat tax or a national retail sales tax, and others would substitute a new consumption-based income tax. Among the various proposals, the flat tax in particular has gained a following, probably because it purports to use tax reform to change politics as well as the economy. As we will see, its advocates claim to...

A progressive tax is a popular form of state taxation that levies higher tax rates against wealthier individuals. Most economists believe that progressive taxes are the best form of taxation because the lower class individuals are shielded from large tax burdens. Progressive taxes are mostly found in European countries and the United States.