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1913 the year that fundamentaly changed the relationship between citizen and the central government.

With the exception of the Civil War, we lived without an income tax from the beginning of the United States until 1913. The idea that the federal government should have the power take a portion of what you earned was unthinkable to Americans for several generations and could not be compatible with the idea of "freedom".

Everyone kept everything they earned and was free to accumulate as much wealth...without penalty...and decide for themselves how to spend, save, donate, etc.

I know it's difficult to think about the income tax in context to American history, since we have lived with it for almost 100 years. But think how fundamentaly your relationship with the government changed with the passage of the 16th Amendment.

The citizen was free to accumulate as much wealth and do with whatever they wanted and the federal government had NO POWER what so ever to interfere. The citizen was the master, the government the servant. Now the government is the master and the citizen is the servant.

Everyone's income is at the discreation of the federal government. Now they have the power to decide how much or how little we keep. Tax rates go up and sometimes they come down...but having that kind power flies in the face of true liberty.

It's too bad that 20th and 21st century Americans are such sheep.

The founding generation fought a revolution over what amounted to about 3% taxation. But it wasn't the amount that was offensive...it was the very idea. Direct income taxation by the fedeal government is 180 degrees opposite of Freedom & Liberty.

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The Constitution. Every Issue, Every time. No Exceptions, No Excuses.

 

"When the people fear the government, there is tyranny. When the government fears the people, there is liberty."---Thomas Jefferson

 

"That's what governments are for... get in a man's way."---Mal Reynolds Capt. of Serenity, "Firefly-Class" spaceship

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Original Post
Since 1964, the threshold for paying top income tax rate has generally been between $200,000 and $400,000. The one exception is the period from 1982-1992 when the top income tax brackets were removed and incomes above around $100,000 (varies by year) paid the top rate. From 1988-1990, the threshold for paying the top rate was even lower, with incomes above $29,750 to $32,450 ($51,000 2007 dollars) paying the top rate of 28% in those years.

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