Trump Floats Eliminating Income Tax, Returning to 19th Century Tariff System
Former President Donald Trump discussed the possibility of eliminating federal income taxes during a Fox News appearance in the Bronx, suggesting a return to late 19th-century economic policies that relied primarily on tariffs for government revenue.
“It had all tariffs — it didn’t have an income tax,” Trump said during the segment. “Now we have income taxes, and we have people that are dying. They’re paying tax, and they don’t have the money to pay the tax.”
While Trump first raised the idea of replacing income tax revenue with tariffs in June, he has not formally proposed ending the income tax system, and it remains unclear whether he means eliminating all federal taxes or just individual income tax.
Economic experts across the political spectrum have dismissed the concept as unfeasible. Currently, income and payroll taxes generate about 94% of federal revenue, while tariffs account for just 2%. The United States collected approximately $4.2 trillion in income and payroll taxes last fiscal year, far exceeding potential revenue from tariffs on the nation’s $3 trillion in annual imports.
Wendy Edelberg, former chief economist at the Congressional Budget Office, warned that attempting to raise sufficient revenue through tariffs could effectively halt international trade. “You’re going to send imported goods to zero, and then you’re going to have no tax revenue,” she said.
Such a shift would reverse the progressivity of the current tax system, where higher earners pay higher rates. Economists note that tariffs are regressive, raising prices on essential items like clothing and groceries, which disproportionately affects lower-income Americans who spend a larger percentage of their income on these goods.
On the campaign trail, Trump has also floated various tax exemptions, including breaks for police officers, firefighters, military service members, and specific types of income such as tips and overtime pay.
According to an analysis from the liberal think tank Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy, Trump’s overall tax agenda would benefit the wealthy while raising taxes on low-income Americans and significantly increasing the federal deficit.
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