Business Adventures: Twelve Classic Tales from the World of Wall Street. Chapter 3. The Federal Income Tax

好的，这是您提供的文本的中文翻译： 本章全面概述了美国的联邦所得税，探讨其社会和经济影响、历史演变以及内在的复杂性。 首先，本章强调了富裕美国人看似不理性的行为，这些行为都是由利用税收漏洞和避税策略所驱动的。 这些行为，例如策略性地安排结婚时间、从事无利可图的商业冒险或暂时搬迁到国外，都说明了税法对个人决策的普遍影响。 本章强调了所得税的巨大经济影响力，它几乎影响着每一家企业和个人。 本章突出了个人报税表的庞大数量，以及通过所得税产生的巨额政府收入，巩固了所得税作为公众意识中“税”的地位。 作者提到，在威尼斯圣马可大教堂的一块牌匾上，注明了捐款“可根据美国所得税进行抵扣”。 一个中心主题是对所得税制度的批判，认为它既不合逻辑也不公平。 作者认为，累进税率被无数漏洞所破坏，使得富人得以避免支付其应有的份额。 该文本强调了纸面上高税率与高收入者实际支付的低得多的有效税率之间的差距。 本章断言，税法如同迷宫一般，包含数千页的法律、法规和法院判决，创建一个普通公民在没有昂贵的专业建议的情况下无法驾驭的体系，从而导致一种不民主的状态。 本章接着深入探讨了所得税的历史演变，从古代的人头税追溯到佛罗伦萨和法国早期对所得税的尝试，两者都充斥着腐败和效率低下。 本章随后重点介绍了英国在1798年颁布的第一个现代所得税。 英国也面临着来自税收的大量批评和问题，但最终习惯和经济需求使税收得以保留，并导致其他国家也建立了自己的所得税制度。 本章回顾了美国最初的犹豫，表现为失败的提案和宪法挑战，包括1894年的一起最高法院案件。 最终，在1913年，第16修正案使所得税合法化，开始了税率和例外情况的螺旋式上升。 本章记录了战争期间不断增加的税率、20年代随后的放松（以及针对资本收益的特殊规定），以及将普通产业工人带入新的税收等级的革命性战时时期。 本章仔细审查了具体的漏洞，例如免税市政债券、资本利得条款、股票期权、免税基金会以及极具争议的石油百分比损耗补贴。 本章阐明了这些条款如何通过允许富人将普通收入转化为资本收益、递延税款或扣除超出实际成本的费用来使他们受益。 作者还研究了差旅和娱乐费用的抵扣所带来的复杂性，强调了1963年后法规中根深蒂固的荒谬和庸俗。 本章还提到了由于缺乏对智力工作和创意艺术家的折旧津贴以及收入波动，而产生的对他们的歧视。 本章最后讨论了改革的潜在途径，包括彻底废除所得税（被认为在政治上不可行）以及实施替代税收制度，如增值税、消费税、使用者税、支出税和联邦彩票。 最终，作者认为，最有希望的前进方向是简化税法、消除漏洞，并解决有利于富人并需要大量依赖昂贵的专业税务咨询的系统性复杂性。 本章以呼吁建立一个更加公平和透明的所得税制度作为结束，该制度能够反映国家的价值观和优先事项。

This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of the Federal Income Tax in the United States, examining its social and economic impact, historical evolution, and inherent complexities. It begins by highlighting the seemingly irrational behaviors of wealthy Americans, all driven by exploiting tax loopholes and avoidance strategies. These behaviors, such as strategically timing marriages, engaging in unprofitable business ventures, or temporarily relocating abroad, illustrate the pervasive influence of tax law on individual decisions. The chapter emphasizes the significant economic reach of the income tax, affecting virtually every business and individual. It highlights the sheer volume of individual tax returns filed and the vast proportion of government revenue generated through income taxes, solidifying its position as the "tax" in the public consciousness. The author mentions, in one case, a plaque in Venice’s Basilica of San Marco acknowledging contributions being “deductible for U.S. income tax purposes.” A central theme is the critique of the income tax system as being neither logical nor equitable. The author argues that the progressive tax rates are undermined by numerous loopholes, allowing the wealthy to avoid paying their fair share. The text highlights the discrepancy between the high tax rates on paper and the much lower effective rates paid by high-income earners. The chapter asserts that the labyrinthine nature of the tax code, encompassing thousands of pages of laws, regulations, and court rulings, creates a system that ordinary citizens cannot navigate without expensive professional advice, leading to an undemocratic state of affairs. The chapter then delves into the historical evolution of income tax, tracing its origins from ancient head taxes to early attempts at income taxation in Florence and France, both fraught with corruption and inefficiency. The chapter then highlights Britain's enactment of the first modern income tax in 1798. Britain faced its fair share of criticism and problems stemming from the tax but ultimately habituation and economic need kept the tax in place and led to other nations instituting their own. The chapter recounts the U.S.'s initial reluctance, marked by failed proposals and constitutional challenges, including an 1894 supreme court case. Eventually, in 1913, the 16th Amendment legalized income tax, setting off an upward spiral for rates and exceptions. It chronicles the increasing rates during wartime, the subsequent easing in the 1920s (and special provisions for capital gains), and the revolutionary wartime era that brought the average industrial worker into a new tax bracket. The chapter scrutinizes specific loopholes, such as tax-exempt municipal bonds, capital gains provisions, stock options, tax-free foundations, and the highly controversial percentage depletion allowance for oil. It elucidates how these provisions benefit the wealthy by allowing them to convert ordinary income into capital gains, defer taxes, or deduct expenses beyond their actual costs. The author also examines the complexities surrounding deductions for travel and entertainment expenses, highlighting the absurdities and philistinism ingrained in the post-1963 regulations. It touches on the perceived discrimination against intellectual work and creative artists due to the lack of depreciation allowances for their mental capacities and income volatility. The chapter concludes by discussing potential avenues for reform, including the abolition of the income tax altogether (deemed politically unviable) and the implementation of alternative tax systems such as value-added taxes, excise taxes, user taxes, expenditure taxes, and federal lotteries. Ultimately, the author suggests that the most promising path forward lies in simplifying the code, eliminating loopholes, and addressing the systemic complexity that favors the wealthy and requires extensive reliance on expensive professional tax advice. The chapter ends with a call for a more equitable and transparent income tax system that reflects the country's values and priorities.