Coverage

Live Feed

What was claimed, and what we found. Not everything that was said — what has been through the process.

Last claim checked October 26 FEEDRSSJSON

Every verdict follows our published methodology — how we check claims.

There is no filter by person. A page narrowed to one individual is a claim history about that individual, and we do not build those.

No events listed
The publication's own words
Reported from somebody else
Said at an event
26 October
5:43 pm

Tariffs were really the primary source of [federal] revenue [in the nation's early years], until the 16th Amendment allowed the nation to tax income in 1913

Supported

Mark Baisley, at Colorado U.S. Senate General Election Debate (9NEWS)

5:43 pm
Why this verdict View evidenceHide evidence
Why we checked itA historical claim about federal revenue and the income tax; checkable against Treasury and historical data.
What we foundThe claim is accurate: tariffs were the dominant source of federal revenue from the founding era through the early 20th century, and the 16th Amendment, ratified in 1913, established the constitutional basis for the permanent federal income tax.
Claim page Dispute this claim