In nominal terms, the MTR for someone making
$100k in 2000 was 30.5 and in 2025 the MTR is 22.
This means that MTR appear to be 8.5 percentage
points lower today than in 2000.
However, someone making 100k in 2000 was richer
than someone making 100k today. If you make
$100k today, what would have been the equivalent
of that in 2000 dollars? (CPI in 2000=172 and CPI
2023 =314.4)? $54,707 That would be in what tax
2000 MTR? 27.5%
Comparing difference in the MTR you pay today with
what the 2000-version of yourself would have paid,
your tax rate today is 5.5 percentage points lower.
One of the reasons tax rates appear to fall over time
is that inflation rises over time.