Make Me Smart
Make Me Smart
Marketplace
Here’s how the ultrarich avoid paying taxes
17 minutes Posted Apr 14, 2026 at 8:45 pm.
0:00
17:34
Download MP3
Show notes

In her book “The Second Estate,” Boston College Law School professor Ray Madoff argues that the tax code in the United States lets billionaires keep their wealth outside of the tax system, leaving the heaviest burden to lower- and middle-income, working Americans. On today’s show, Madoff joins Kimberly to explain the “tax avoidance playbook” and why Congress has let certain loopholes go unclosed for decades. Plus, why a wealth tax may not be the simple solution you think it is.