Internal Revenue Code of 1986

1) Link to the Text of the Act
Read the statute (26 U.S.C.)

2) Why It Was Done
The Internal Revenue Code of 1986 was enacted as part of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, a major overhaul of the U.S. tax system. It simplified tax brackets, broadened the base, and closed loopholes while lowering overall rates.

3) Pre-existing Law or Constitutional Rights
Federal income tax authority comes from the 16th Amendment (1913). Prior versions of the tax code existed (notably the Internal Revenue Code of 1954), but the 1986 reform modernized it.