National Park Service

The Civil War: 150 Years. National Park Service Sesquicentennial Commemoration.

Then: August 5, 1861

The First Income Tax

Abraham Lincoln on the five dollar bill

President Lincoln signs into law the first income tax in American history, a flat rate of 3% used to help fund the war.

Now: December 17, 2010

President Obama Extends Tax Cuts

President Obama signing legislation extending tax cuts

The top bracket of taxpayers now pays 35% of their marginal income as taxes. In WWII, this rate was as high as 94%.

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