Sixteenth Amendment ratification arguments have been rejected in every court case where they have been raised and have been identified as legally frivolous. Some protesters have argued that because the Sixteenth Amendment does not contain the words "repeal" or "repealed", the Amendment is ineffective to change the law.
What problem caused the 16th Amendment?
The ratification of the Sixteenth Amendment was the direct consequence of the Court's 1895 decision in Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co. holding unconstitutional Congress's attempt of the previous year to tax incomes uniformly throughout the United States.
Why is the 16th amendment considered progressive?
The 16th Amendment allowed Congress to make the tax system more progressive (meaning the rate at which you pay taxes increases with your income), to ensure those that could afford to pay more as a result of higher income paid more. It also allowed the federal government to reduce its reliance on indirect taxes.