Taft Supports 16th Amendment


President William Taft sends a message to Congress on June 16, 1909, recommending the passage of a constitutional amendment to legalize federal income tax legislation. The 16th Amendment states that Congress has the power to tax incomes, from whatever “source” derived, without having to go through the complicated process of “apportionment” (dividing the tax up among the states based on population), which is a constitutional requirement for all “direct” taxes.