Tax Revenues Hit All‐​Time Highs

While Democrats plot to raise taxes (and Republicans indirectly help them by failing to push for smaller government), Investor’s Business Daily provides a useful service by pointing out that inflation‐​adjusted tax revenues have reached record levels. And even when measured as a share of economic output, tax collections have risen above their long‐​term average (though the assumption that politicians automatically deserve a slice of additional economic output is a pernicious notion):

Tax revenues will be about 18.5% of GDP this year — above the average of 18.2% since 1960. As for inflation‐​adjusted tax revenues — a little‐​used but equally telling statistic — they’ll reach an all‐​time high of $2.013 trillion. That’s higher even than in the last year of the dot‐​com boom. And by the way, it’s an astounding 26% gain since 2003 — after inflation. What about the claim that tax cuts “lose” revenues for the government? Also not true. What is true is that by creating a dynamic of powerful economic growth, lower taxes expand the economy and, therefore, overall tax revenues. They do this by giving people more incentives to work, save, invest and innovate — all drivers of long‐​term economic growth.