Why is the U.S. tax system so complex?

Before we procrastinators struggled with finishing our 2011 returns this week, Chris Hayes hosted a panel on his MSNBC program to try to answer why our tax system is so complex.

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I'm not spoiling anything by telling you that there was lots of outrage (for example, the unfairness of the tax system via things such as homeowner tax breaks and the alternative minimum tax) and suggestions (like, say, just let the tax breaks scheduled to expire do so and watch the deficit self-correct), but there was no one easy answer offered to this perennial question.

Still, if you're looking for a way to pass six and a half minutes, check it out.

I'd love to hear your ideas on why the tax code is out of control and what we should do about it.

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