A disturbing, eye-opening look at a tax system gone out of control. Originally designed to spread the cost of government fairly, our tax code has turned into a gold mine of loopholes and giveaways manipulated by the influential and wealthy for their own benefit. If you feel as if the tax laws are rigged against the average taxpayer, you're right: Middle-income taxpayers pick up a growing share of the nation’s tax bill, while our most profitable corporations pay little or nothing. Your tax status is affected more by how many lawyers and lobbyists you can afford than by your resources or needs. Our best-known and most successful companies pay more taxes to foreign governments than to our own. Cities and states start bidding wars to attract business through tax breaks—taxes made up for by the American taxpayer. Who really pays the taxes? Barlett and Stelle, authors of the bestselling America: What Went Wrong?, offer a graphic exposé of what’s wrong with our tax system, how it got that way, and how to fix it.

A surprising and revealing look at what Americans really believe about taxes Conventional wisdom holds that Americans hate taxes. But the conventional wisdom is wrong. Bringing together national survey data with in-depth interviews, Read My Lips presents a surprising picture of tax attitudes in the United States. Vanessa Williamson demonstrates that Americans view taxpaying as a civic responsibility and a moral obligation. But they worry that others are shirking their duties, in part because the experience of taxpaying misleads Americans about who pays taxes and how much. Perceived "loopholes" convince many income tax filers that a flat tax might actually raise taxes on the rich, and the relative invisibility of the sales and payroll taxes encourages many to underestimate the sizable tax contributions made by poor and working people. Americans see being a taxpayer as a role worthy of pride and respect, a sign that one is a contributing member of the community and the nation. For this reason, the belief that many Americans are not paying their share is deeply corrosive to the social fabric. The widespread misperception that immigrants, the poor, and working-class families pay little or no taxes substantially reduces public support for progressive spending programs and undercuts the political standing of low-income people. At the same time, the belief that the wealthy pay less than their share diminishes confidence that the political process represents most people. Upending the idea of Americans as knee-jerk opponents of taxes, Read My Lips examines American taxpaying as an act of political faith. Ironically, the depth of the American civic commitment to taxpaying makes the failures of the tax system, perceived and real, especially potent frustrations.

Build the financial future you deserve with tax-effective investing The government wants your help, and it's willing to pay handsomely. You just need to know what to do. In The Win-Win Wealth Strategy: 7 Investments the Government Will Pay You to Make, celebrated entrepreneur, investor, and bestselling author Tom Wheelwright, CPA transforms the way you think about building wealth and challenges the paradigm that tax incentives are immoral loopholes. Backed by deep research in 15 countries, he identifies seven investing strategies that are A-OK with governments worldwide and will fatten your wallet while making the world a better place. You’ll learn: How to tax-effectively invest in business, technology, energy, real estate, insurance, agriculture, and retirement accounts How to use tax incentives to help pay for your next car, house, or tuition bill Why “the rich” are not “a drain on society” and, more importantly, how to become one of them An indispensable and startlingly insightful exploration of straightforward investing strategies, The Win-Win Wealth Strategy improves your confidence in tax-effective investing, so you make better decisions with your money and supercharge your family’s generational wealth while creating jobs, developing technology and improving access to food, energy and housing.