How the US Income Tax Actually Works

It’s Tax Day in the US, and the system behind it isn’t as straightforward as it looks. You earn money. Taxes get taken out. Case closed … right? Not exactly. In this episode of "1440 Explores," we break down how the US tax system actually works, from confusing deductions and misunderstood tax brackets to why the wealthiest Americans often end up paying a very different tax than everyone else.

We'll unpack:

• Why tax brackets don’t work the way most people think.
• Why half of Americans don’t pay federal income tax.
• How wealth gets taxed differently than wages.
• What “buy, borrow, die” means for the ultra-wealthy.

Guest:
Michael Linden, senior policy fellow at the Washington Center for Equitable Growth and former executive associate director at the White House Office of Management and Budget.

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Credits:
A production of Rhyme Media for 1440 Media
Host: Sony Kassam
Producer: Nicolo Majnoni
Editor: Dan Bobkoff
Sound Designer: Jay Cowit
Executive Producers (1440): Sony Kassam and Drew Steigerwald
Executive Producer (Rhyme): Dan Bobkoff

About 1440: 1440 is a community for the knowledge-obsessed that helps curious people stay informed and inspired every day. We live in an age of limitless information but limited understanding. Algorithms decide what we see. Misinformation spreads faster than truth. And the tools meant to expand knowledge now distort it.

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