[buckman]

Originally Posted by zimmy

This graph shows taxes relative to gdp, which is one of the clearest ways to compare year to year, decade to decade. Blue is fed tax, red state, green business. There are many ways it can be compared, from total tax burden to effective rates. They all come out pretty much the same. Any honest comparison shows that taxes are effectively on the low end of where they have been since 1940. The gdp graph can't give you specific tax rates though. For example, taxes are lower now than they were a couple years ago, but as a percent of gdp, they are a slightly higher percent due to a decrease in gdp from the recession. This website has a whole pile of graphs, which give a pretty good overview of past values and projections of the near future. The analysis of the data is somewhat biased though, and makes a bunch of assumptions that may or may not be true.
THE HISTORY OF TAXES: Here's How High Today's Rates Really Are - Business Insider

Thanks Zimmy