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Politics : American Presidential Politics and foreign affairs -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: DuckTapeSunroof who wrote (33349)	2/25/2009 8:03:19 PM
From: TimF	1 Recommendation Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 71588

It doesn't matter whether you look at the "apples" or the "oranges". The rich pay a larger portion of their income in federal income taxes AND the rich pay a larger portion of their income in all federal taxes, then the middle class or the poor. That doesn't just apply to "the rich" in general, but also to "the very rich". The data you presented backs up that idea. From your post "Top 1%'s effective INDIVIDUAL INCOME TAX RATE --- 19.4 percent in 2005." Well most people have lower effect individual income tax rates than 19.4 percent. Many people pay a higher marginal rate, but not a higher total effective income tax rate. The poor (depending on exactly how you define the group), pay about a zero or even a negative rate(because of EITC and other refundable credits). The middle class pays a fairly significant effective income tax rate, but typically less than 19.4%, or even the 17.0 percent that you post is paid by the top 0.01 percent (if that's your threshold for "very rich"). Usually that point is relatively quickly conceded, but then people start saying "well you have to include payroll tax as well because the rich effectively pay less in payroll tax (as a percentage)", but if you include all federal taxes, the rich also pay a higher rate. So take your pick, "apples or oranges", either way the rich pay more as a percentage of their income