Noisy
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The world is being quietly rearranged by people who write very long documents.

NBER · May 1, 2026
The title they went with Till the IRS Do Us Part: (Optimal) Taxation of Households Noisy translates that to

The US could collect 18% more tax revenue by ignoring who is married

What happened
An economic model suggests the US government could collect 18% more tax revenue. This would happen if it taxed married individuals separately, rather than combining their incomes into a single household.
Why it matters
The US tax system has long treated married couples as one economic unit. This paper suggests that approach leaves a lot of money on the table. Taxing each person individually could bring in more revenue and encourage more people to work.
The signal
Watch for any US Treasury or Congressional Budget Office analyses that cite these findings when discussing tax reform options.
If you insist
Read the original →