The Future Of Taxes In America

Jane Clayson in for Tom Ashbrook.

It’s tax time. We’ll look at who pays, who doesn’t, and the way ahead on taxes.

It’s tax day.

Whether you stand in line at the post office or file online there’s no doubt about it, tax time can be stressful. Sometimes confusing. Or, rewarding if you’re the one getting a refund.

Navigating the political rhetoric around taxes can be daunting. Do the poor pay taxes? Do the wealthy really get a break? And what about corporations?

With endless loopholes and exemptions, who comes out on top on tax day? With the federal budget in limbo and a government deficit in the trillions — we’ll talk taxes and the future of American tax policy.

This hour On Point: The Taxing questions.
- Jane Clayson

Guests:

David Cay Johnston, Pulitzer-Prize winnning author and writer. He writes a column for tax.com and teaches at Syracuse University. He's the author of two bestsellers on taxes, "Perfectly Legal: The Covert Campaign to Rig Our Tax System to Benefit the Super Rich - and Cheat Everybody Else" and "Free Lunch: How the Wealthiest Americans Enrich Themselves at Government Expense (and Stick You with the Bill)." His forthcoming book, "The Fine Print" will be out later this year.

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, a think tank. He’s former director of the Congressional Budget Office, from 2003-2005, and served as chief economist to John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign.