Comment by d33lio

Deductions are the real "lever" that the ultra rich use, since you can lobby the feds to implement whatever you want. This is why when tax rates post WWII were "over 90%" in top brackets nobody actually paid those taxes. Ironically, in that period most people who would be subject to that tax just took sabbaticals (of sorts) and reduced their income. Contrary to popular belief, most rich people have a far higher IQ than Hollywood actors.