The leaked tapes that show how the rich avoid taxes
Planet Money
- Published
- May 27, 2026
- Duration
- 26:19
- Summary source
- description
- Last updated
- Jun 10, 2026
Discusses Tax avoidance -- that is, legally reducing your tax bill -- is as American as apple pie. But the lin…
Summary
Tax avoidance -- that is, legally reducing your tax bill -- is as American as apple pie. But the line between tax avoidance and tax evasion is often a grey one. On today’s show, a collaboration with Tax Notes, we listen in on the secret tapes that show how the wealthiest Americans avoid taxes. We trace the lifecycle of a tax loophole: how it was born (in …
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Show notes
Tax avoidance -- that is, legally reducing your tax bill -- is as American as apple pie. But the line between tax avoidance and tax evasion is often a grey one. On today’s show, a collaboration with Tax Notes, we listen in on the secret tapes that show how the wealthiest Americans avoid taxes. We trace the lifecycle of a tax loophole: how it was born (in Malta), how it grew, how the Feds cracked down, and how the industry came to its rescue -- with the help of one high-ranking Trump administrati