Trivia For April 15, 2025
It's themed Tuesday! Today's questions will all be about...
Tax Day
Question 1:
This gangster was not jailed for the murders he committed, but rather for income tax evasion. He would serve seven years in prison, primarily at Alcatraz, before his release in 1939.
Due to his failing health from syphilis, he was released in 1939. In 1942, after mass production of penicillin was started in the United States, Capone was one of the first American patients treated by the new drug, but It was too late to reverse the damage to his brain. He would die in 1947.
Question 2:
Which U.S. president signed the Revenue Act of 1861, a wartime law that became the first income tax statute passed in the United States?
The tax imposed was a flat tax, with a rate of 3% on incomes above $800 (approximately $28,000 today). It would later be replaced by a progressive tax, and then allowed to lapse at the end of the war.
Question 3:
Released to pay off a tax debt, The IRS Tapes: Who'll Buy My Memories? (1992) is the 39th studio album by this venerable country and western singer-songwriter.
The Internal Revenue Service claimed that he owed $32 million in back taxes. Profits from the album plus an auction of Nelson's property cleared the debt.
Question 4:
Which constitutional amendment authorizes the income tax?
The amendment was passed by Congress in 1909 in response to the 1895 Supreme Court case of Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co which effectively banned income taxes. It was ratified by the requisite number of states on February 3, 1913.
Question 5:
What is the highest federal income tax bracket for the 2024 and 2025 tax years?
Tax brackets show the marginal rate. When income jumps to a higher tax bracket, the higher rate is only paid on the part that's in the new tax bracket.
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