Why the Rich Don’t Pay Taxes

Ray Madoff, Professor of Law, Boston College Law School.

11 a.m., November 16, 2025

Join us this Sunday, either in person or online, as we watch and discuss a video from last October that explains why the rich don’t pay taxes.

The richest Americans control $46 trillion in wealth—but many pay little or no federal tax. ‪Boston College law professor Ray Madoff, author of “The Second Estate: How the Tax Code Made an American Aristocracy,” explains how a century of tax policy created two Americas: one that pays taxes and one that doesn’t.

Drawing on her new book, Madoff reveals how the wealthy use legal tools—inheritance loopholes, trusts, and philanthropy—to avoid taxation altogether. She shows how “charitable giving” often benefits billionaires more than the public, and how our tax code has quietly built an American aristocracy.

Madoff calls for a new vision of stewardship—where wealth is once again tied to responsibility, and the public good comes before private dynasties.

You can preview this 26-minute video at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aLKacgW6YOI

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