Myth Busting: the rich do NOT pay more into the treasury, en masse than

[radwriter0555]

do the middle and lower classes.

By sheer numbers ALONE, the middle class provides by far and large, some 90% of the funding for the US treasury.

For every 10,000 middle class taxpayers, there is some one single rich fatty who gets to use lawyers and every tax dodge in the books -- and some new ones -- to avoid paying taxes.

Think LEONA HELMSLY.

[M0rpheus]

1. Link Plz.

To add to my mythbusting file.

[radwriter0555]

5. Here's a good link...

Here are the numbers for 1992 from the Statistical Abstract of the United States:

The top 7 percent of those filing returns, those reporting adjusted gross income of $75,000 or more, paid 51 percent of total U.S. income taxes.
People making $75,001, a group that includes many households in which both spouses work, may object that they don't feel particularly rich. They should talk to a single mom who's mopping floors. But let's work our way up the income scale:
The top 3 percent of filers, those making $100,000-plus, paid 40 percent of the taxes.
The top four-fifths of 1 percent of filers, who make $200,000 or more, paid 26 percent of the taxes.
The top one-twentieth of 1 percent of filers, those making $1 million or more--and Tom Wolfe's little demonstration in Bonfire of the Vanities notwithstanding, nobody's going to tell me those guys aren't rich--paid 10 percent of the taxes. That's a mere 67,000 households, who on average paid income tax of $707,000 apiece.


http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a5_139.html

[M0rpheus]

6. Cool.

Thanks for reminding me about Cecil. Haven't been there in years.

[Cleita]

2. It was my job once to work for the super rich. They not

only don't pay the taxes the ordinary American does, they pay less for the goods they purchase because they can afford to set up companies wherein they can purchase much of the clothes and furnishings they use wholesale. If the person is famous they get scads of stuff for free because the companies consider the fact that they are wearing their clothes, driving their cars or using their brand free advertising.

[Nlighten1]

3. GE didn't pay taxes for 5 years

and got REBATES back from the taxes they didn't pay.

They weren't alone by a long shot.

[girl gone mad]

4. I never understood that argument anyways..

Even if the rich pay more into the treasury (which I don't know if they do or not), their burden is still lower.

So, for eample, if the top 10% of the people make 70% of the money and pay 55% of the taxes, they aren't paying their share. Arguing that rich people account for most of the tax revenue is a moot point then.

[StClone]

7. The Rich do work harder at not paying taxes

And it is their job to bitch and complain about paying any taxes. That is the nature of being and becoming rich.