Page 22 - NYLS Magazine • 2014 • Vol. 33, No. 1

By Steven Seidenberg

SyMPoSiUM MARkS

ThE 100Th AnnivERSARy

of ThE inCoME TAx

W

hen President Woodrow federal income tax has changed so much
Wilson signed the Revenue
over the last century, how the tax system

Act of 1913 into law, the has run into problems, and how tax law is
federal income tax was simple, eicient,
trying to address current issues, including Edward kleinbard presents the welcome
and keynote address.
and paid by only those with high aggressive tax shelters.
incomes. It bears little resemblance to
An undercurrent in the discussion was he opening speaker, Professor Edward
today’s federal income tax.
how politically charged the tax law has Kleinbard, former Chief of Staf of
he United States now has “ridiculously been from its inception. In her opening Congress’ Joint Committee on Taxation

complicated tax laws” that collect taxes remarks, Ann F. homas, Otto L. Walter and now at the University of Southern
in a “very unfair” manner, said Lee A. Distinguished Professor of Law at NYLS, California Gould School of Law, noted

Sheppard, columnist and Contributing who organized the symposium, observed that “progressive and income tax have
Editor for Tax Notes. he eminent
that the Revenue Act was the “irst always been joined at the hip in the

tax journalist spoke at “he 100th federal income tax enacted following the United States.”
Anniversary of the Revenue Act of 1913: ratiication of the 16th Amendment..I
“he reason for the progressive nature
Marking a Century of Income Tax Law never miss a chance to tell people it was
in the United States,” a symposium co- actually ratiied..there are miscreants of the income tax is as an antidote to
inequality,” Kleinbard said. But by that
sponsored by the Graduate Tax Program out there who go around telling people
at New York Law School and the New that that’s not true.that the 16th measure, the U.S. income tax system has
failed dramatically, he said. “he U.S. has
York Law School Law Review.
Amendment was not ratiied and that
therefore every tax law from 1913 to the the most progressive tax system in the
world.and we don’t change bupkus..
Twenty experts in tax law spoke at the present is unconstitutional. I do urge you
October 4, 2013, event held a century never to miss an opportunity to set the Sweden and other countries have very

and a day ater the enactment of the record straight.here’s a lot of wishful regressive systems but accomplish very
Revenue Act. hey discussed why the
progressive results.” One reason why
thinking in tax law.”

20 New York Law schooL magaziNe • 2014 • VOL. 33, NO. 1