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Taxes are something we all have to pay in the United States, and this time of year, taxes are really on our minds.  Many people who have paid into the tax system all year long are now ready and waiting to receive their annual tax refunds — the average size of which is about $2,700.  Americans began paying federal income taxes way back in 1913, and  prior World War II, the taxes were paid as a lump sum at the end of each year and accounted for just 6% of income, only from only the wealthiest citizens in the United States.  Today, 40% is not an impossible amount for some to be taxed.

During the Second World War, the US government started withholding a portion of everyone’s taxes from each paycheck.  This guaranteed that the government would have a steady stream of income at first simply to fund the war, but after wartime this remained the process and persists today.

The American tax code is now the largest, most complicated document in the world. The sheer number of words exceeds 7 million.  Over the years our tax code has become so complicated that some Americans believe it needs to be thrown out completely and reworked from the ground up.

This infographic shows us how the US tax system works — or doesn’t work, depending on your point of view.  What do you think about the US tax code?  Are you expecting a refund this year, or will you have to pay?