>>105788140

This is a misunderstanding of history. Income taxes didn't even become a reality for most people until the 1940's and WW2 and were pitched as temporary wartime measures. Most rich people didn't report or pay, which is why those rates were allowed to be so high.

This all changed when they switched to mandatory withholding, suddenly the government could collect on everyone, and so they had to reduce the top rates so people wouldn't riot.