在美国，跨党派的减税狂潮在特朗普“Big, Beautiful Bill”后继续升温，该法案在退税季带来大额退税，但其财政基础是数万亿美元的财政赤字支出，而两位参议员布克和霍伦的方案将进一步扩大规模，约有55%的纳税人将不缴联邦所得税。该情绪受到公众对税制强烈失望的推动，税收公平感已跌至30年来最低，州一级还出现了包括老年人财产税豁免、以及佐治亚州拟对教师免征所得税等提案，显示这种“送钱”逻辑在扩散。
文章认为这并非财政进步：在多数发达国家中，美国税负并不高，税制已具累进性，进一步加重可能扭曲激励，而财政赤字已达GDP的6%，且官方预测仍将上升。文章指出两党此举可能催生债券市场的严厉反应，类似“利兹·特鲁斯”事件后市场对财政纪律的警惕，并点名英国苏纳克在2024年选举失利前推出的0.7%GDP工资税减免，却未成为选民主要评价标准，反而不如“禁止XL Bully”更受关注。
政治回报同样并不可靠：特朗普在任期内推行减税未能避免其在2020年的选举失利，本轮退税季其支持率仍下滑；虽然普通美国人工资增长多年来已持续跑赢通胀，民众依然因高名义物价产生“贴牌冲击”。若让更多美国人完全脱离纳税义务，就会削弱其对公共财政的参与感，扩大“享受国家施舍”的群体，进一步侵蚀对政府效率与问责的现实约束。
A bipartisan tax-cutting frenzy continues in America: after Donald Trump’s Big, Beautiful Bill, huge refunds have arrived, yet the policy is backed by trillions in deficit spending, and Senators Cory Booker and Chris Van Hollen’s plans would widen the giveaway so about 55% of tax filers pay no federal income taxes. The political mood is fed by deep discontent with the tax system—perceived fairness is at a 30-year low—and similar giveaways are now emerging in state proposals, from property-tax exemptions for older people to a Georgia plan to exempt teachers from income tax.
The article argues this is not sound fiscal progress: by international standards, U.S. taxes are already relatively low, and making the code more progressive can further distort incentives, while the budget deficit is about 6% of GDP and projected to rise. It warns both parties are entering a dangerous debt dynamic, with economists recalling a post-Liz Truss bond-market reckoning risk, and cites Britain’s 0.7% of GDP payroll-tax cut before Rishi Sunak’s 2024 election loss, where it ranked below a less central issue like banning the “XL Bully.”
The political payoff from tax giveaways remains uncertain: Trump’s first-term cuts did not prevent his 2020 defeat, and his approval continued to slide during this refund season; meanwhile, average wages have outpaced inflation for years, but households still face sticker shock from high nominal prices. Removing too many taxpayers from the base leaves citizens less linked to paying for government, potentially replacing civic ownership with dependence on state largesse and deepening fiscal and institutional dysfunction.
Source: America will come to regret its war on taxes
Subtitle: Lately, Democrats have joined the charge
Dateline: 4月 16, 2026 05:30 上午