Martin Feldstein's recent article on U.S. capital income taxes perpetuates the myth that capital gains are taxed at 15 percent: yet once the AMT, child tax credits and state taxes are taken into account, the top effective rate is at least 35.8 percent.

This paper examines the progressivity of tax benefits for child care over time. We find that the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit (CDCTC) became more progressive between 1989 and 1998. However, total tax benefits for child care, which include the employer exclusion for child care, were less...