Can the U.S. Tax Code Be Simplified?

Steve Hayes is joined by Mike Warren, Scott Lincicome, and Megan McArdle to discuss our overly complicated tax code and our launch of Dispatch Markets, featuring Scott's latest newsletter. Steve, Megan, and Mike then discuss New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani's pied-à-terre tax and how the democratic socialist mayor has governed so far.The Agenda:—Donald Rumsfeld's tax letter—The cost of tax compliance—Political will for tax reform—Personal vs. corporate tax complexity—Mamdani's pied-à-terre tax—Economic policy in New York—NWYT: J.D. Vance's small crowdDispatch Recommendations:—Trump Retribution Campaign Threatens to Unravel Indiana GOP—Is Private Credit in Trouble?—The Decline and Fall of Orbánism Show notes: —Megan's podcast Reasonably Optimistic⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Can the U.S. Tax Code Be Simplified? is an episode from The Dispatch Podcast by The Dispatch.

This episode is 71:27 long.

This episode was published on Apr 17, 2026.

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