Taxes are everywhere, on our income, our property, our purchases, our fuel, and even our death. But how often do we stop to ask: why? This book takes the reader on a journey through the history and reality of American taxation. From the Boston Tea Party to today’s labyrinthine IRS code, it explores how taxes grew from narrow levies for defense and infrastructure into an all-encompassing system that funds everything from social engineering to global military ventures. Along the way, it exposes the myths that sustain the system: • The illusion of “fair shares.” • The promises of progressivity undermined by loopholes. • The hidden costs of payroll deductions, excise duties, and local fees. • The quiet layering of federal, state, and local claims on the same dollar. With sharp analysis and a clear structure, the book unravels the crisis of legitimacy at the heart of U.S. taxation. It shows how ordinary citizens shoulder the heaviest burdens while corporations and elites maneuver around them. And it asks the fundamental question: should taxation serve only to fund essential public goods or has it become a tool of control?