Anyone know how much the rich (upper 1%) pay as a proportion of personal federal income taxes?  Is it fair?
482612
I would love to see how much of the overall taxes that they make up... \n\nand how much do the loopholes help them... I've heard a lot, and I know some people who are weathy and they know a few tricks to cut down on what they pay.... \n\nWe all know the most profitable business in America, the oil compaines have tax cuts from the government... I wonder about the personal taxes?\n\nblackcorgi... aren't there "tax-free" investments that you make? or deductions that you have that cut down on that percentage considerably?... wouldn't anyone that makes that much be "a fool" to not take adavantage of these (no offense if you don't)?
790893
Who is the wealthy americans and what do people call rich?  I hear a lot of discussion on this topic, but no politician wants to define this.  So be prepared when your tax bill goes up regardless of what you make.  If you make over the poverty level, you are rich.
984018
I don't think it's fair that Social Security tax is withheld from my pay at all. It's a pyramid scheme, and is close to collapsing, as all pyramid schemes do. I have been paying the max in social security taxes for many years now, but there won't be anything left for me when I retire.\n\nBut if we have to have this pyramid scheme, then, yes, it is fair that what you pay in is capped, since benefits are capped.\n\nOh, and BTW, the cap goes up EVERY YEAR. It has been raised EVERY SINGLE YEAR since 1972. In 1972, it was $9,000. And is is NOT currently $90,000. It is currently $94,200.
267635
I was forced to sell my home after 23 years. I could not pay the taxes. $2000 per year. I don't have kids in school and I refuse to pay for your kids to get Golf and Tennis lessons free. I also refuse to pay for your kids sports. In Ohio they took $40 million from public schools and gave it to private schools. The Neocons call it vouchers. In fact it's redistribution of my wealth. I will never pay school tax again in my lifetime. My property Taxes went up 5 times over 10 years under Republicans in the State.
952648
I live in NY State (highest taxes in the USA). I'm single but I do have a bf. I own my home and a few acres of land. I'm very comfortable and make $85,000 a year. My bf makes $70,000 a year.
488146
IRS and FAIR don't go in the same sentence.  LOL.\n\nSeriously, they just set rates according to income levels and tax brackets based on laws the citizens,legislatures, or agencies enact.
628826
I think obviously millions of people are,but if we dont pay this way then we would end up paying around 30% income tax.\nwhich would you prefer?
488276
The overwhelming share of the tax cuts the Senate voted to extend will flow to the wealthiest taxpayers. People earning $1 million a year would save about $42,700, and reap about 22 percent of the total tax cut, according to the Tax Policy Center, a research group in Washington. People earning $40,000 to $50,000 a year would save about $47 and receive less than 1 percent of the benefits. This sucks for hard working americans!
1078492
My husband and I are one of "those folks".\n\nPersonally I favor a flat tax.  To me it is the fairest way to to tax individuals on their earned income.  If everyone where to pay say 20% (with no loop holes), then we would all be paying the same.  The only exception might be for the lowest of incomes, say those who make $20,000 or less.\n\nI do not believe it is fair to penalize someone for making money.  I have a good income because I have worked my butt off to get there.\n\nEnough said.
605042
If you could find "middle class" average people who agree. I do not think we could agree on who is middle class Harvard says single income of $41,000 & 2 income family of $72,000. I think anything below $150,000 is middle class. \nMy friends & I are middle class people, we do not live in mansions or have chaueffers, we are just regular people & we do not vote alike very often.\n\nIt is someone's dream that would would be democrats - and our nightmare. Middle Income - Kennedys, Clintons, Kerrys, rockafellares, Fords, Gates, Clooney, Oprah - I want their middle class income.
452723
Probably a lower one because millionaires usually know or learn how to have more write-offs and no doubt pay less taxes than the working class and believe me $100,000 a year is not all that much nowadays. Good luck! :-)
89250
Read Neal Boortz's book "The Fair Tax".  \nThe fair tax gets rid of all federal income and payroll taxes and replaces it with a 23% consumption tax.  \n\nPeople get a prebate each month to cover taxes on the basic necessitys of life. \n\nYou get your whole check (gross) not just net.\n\nCorporate taxes presently account for 23% of an items price now.  That would disappear so you would be paying about the same for everything.\n\nAnd with no corporate taxes America would become the worlds biggest tax shelter.  Industries would be running over each other to set up shop in the US.\n\nCheck it out.\n\nMy 2 cents
10310
No just death. Wealthy people have so many loopholes that a lot of them don't pay taxes.
666728
It's a Republican tax plan. What do you expect?\n\nSeriously, there are a couple of sides to the issue. If there are two people living in a town, both working at jobs, driving on the roads and sending their two kids to public schools, does it make sense that one person is paying $40,000 in taxes and another is paying $5,000 in taxes? Same benefits, but one person pays 8 times as much just because he has more education and a better job. That's sliding scale percentage based taxation.\n\nLooked at another way, it's the responsibility of the rich to take care of the poor. The dentist or executive making $100K should be happy to pay $40K in taxes to help support the rest of the country, because he can afford it much more than the baker or cab driver earning only $28,000. \n\nPersonally, I'd rather everyone give the government $2000 per year, flat rate tax. People below poverty line (under $20K per adult per family) are exempt. That would work out to roughly $900 billion or about half of the projected 2007 budget. That's more than enough to support military defense and homeland security, and to pay for the federal highways. Everything else can be handled locally. \n\nAnd if you're only paying a total of $2000 a year in federal taxes, as opposed to $20K or more for the average middle-class household, that's a lot more spending (economic growth). And a lot more that can be spent on charity (replacing welfare) for those who belief in that.
124882
no tax is fair.\nhttp://www.philipdru.com/griffin_stream.html
910157
A flat tax would tax everyone at the same rate (percentage).  There would be no exemptions or exceptions.  There would be no loop holes for the very rich to use.  A flat tax would almost eliminate the need for an IRS.  That alone is a good reason to implement a flat tax.  The other tax that has been discussed with the "USE TAX".  That would tax everything we buy but not everything we earn.
485929
I'm good at taxes and deductions -- in fact I prepare tax paperwork for friends and family -- for free.  I don't believe it's a matter of how much you pay in taxes that counts.  It's a matter of how you feel about living in this country.  I'm middle aged, single, never had a child, don't drive and attended non-public schools.  But I don't have a problem paying my fair share of taxes because I think it's important to help this country pay for children, for roads, for education and other public works.  Oh go ahead, call me a liberal.  I'm not insulted.  I just like living in America and believe that there are certain costs that go along with that.