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1440 Explores

1440 Explores

How the US Income Tax Actually Works

Apr 15, 2026 · 25m

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About this episode

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…