400 Americans paid as much of the Fed.taxes as the bottom half

Just thought this would be a factoid worthy to report. Reality can be difficult to deal with. Not mentioned is not only do the non-payers not pay, but get money back from the 400. I don’t think 400 come to  “The one percent” do you?

Bottom Line: A small group of 400 of America’s most successful earners in 2009, about the number of residents living in a typical apartment building in Washington, D.C., paid almost as much in federal income taxes as the entire bottom half of America’s 138 million tax filers, which is a population equivalent to the combined number of residents living in America’s 29 least populated states, plus the District of Columbia.

We hear all the time that the “rich don’t pay their fair share of taxes” (123,000 Google search results for that phrase).  Here’s an analysis using recent IRS data that suggests otherwise.

1. In 2009, the top 400 taxpayers based on Adjusted Gross Income earned $81 billion as a group, and paid $16.1 billion in federal income taxes (see chart above).

2. In 2009, the bottom 50% of taxpayers, a group totaling 69 million, earned collectively more than $1 trillion and paid $19.5 billion in federal income taxes (see chart below).

I say thanks a bunch!
Carpe Diem