Hannity falsely claimed "50 percent of American households no longer pay taxes"

[CLANG]

Hannity, April 8: "50 percent of Americans no longer pay taxes. They don't pay income taxes." On the April 8 edition of his Fox News show, Hannity said: "But there was a big report today. It came up on the AP. It was the Drudge headline last night before I went to bed. And I got here in Grand Rapids, and I'm reading the Internet, and 50 percent of Americans no longer pay taxes. They don't pay income taxes. So we -- and it seems like, at this point, what incentive is there going to be for the people that are paying taxes?"
http://tinyurl.com/yd567c3
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Well, if 50 percent pay no income taxes, it probably means they have no income! Does Hannity envy these people? And in answer to his question, "what incentive is there going to be for the people that are paying taxes?", how about the incentive of having a job and an income?

Douche nozzle Supreme!

[Captain Hilts]

1. Payroll taxes are the greatest burden for most United Statesians. nt

[Hubert Flottz]

2. Hannity and Beck are like twins...

From Hell.

[BuelahWitch]

3. Yes, that's the question, would he like to live their life?

So that he doesn't have to pay taxes?
I have a Facebook friend who was ranting and raving about all the taxes he had to pay, and about all the people who don't pay any. He also has a big house in the San Gabriel Mts and recently went to see Paul McCartney. I sincerely doubt those who "don't pay any" taxes are living his lifestyle.

[Kali]

4. half of ALL children in the US have been, are, or will be on food stamps

sometime in their lives. The fucking moochers.

[Historic NY]

5. Hannity collects military charity money and spends little on charity.

http://trueslant.com/rickungar/2010/03/20/sean-hannity-in-serious-military-charity-scandal/

[OHdem10]

6. It is 40% who do not pay taxes. What this tells us is nearly half

of the American People do not earn enough to pay taxes.

It says more about the Wealth Gap in this country than
anything.

Of course, it appears the Hannitys of this world feel
like martyrs--Millionnaires having to pay more because
almost half the country does not earn enough to pay any taxes.

[Viking12]

11. Really? Where are these people that don't pay taxes?

Everyone pays taxes. The types of taxes they pay vary, but everyone pays taxes at roughly the same percentage of their income regardless of their income level.

[OHdem10]

20. Most often when taxes are discussed--INCOME TAXES. Taxes

on the money you earn. Yes we all pay fica and SS but in a
sense we will get a return on this.

Income Taxes are what people scream and screech about.

People wih children can be earning over 30K and not make
enough to pay income taxes. In other words they get the
tax money returned at tax time. By the time they take their
deducations, it is a wash. They essentially paid no taxes.

[bluestateguy]

7. And so be it. Conservatives should applaud.

They say they are for lower taxes. Would he raise their taxes?

[CLANG]

14. Sure, if they aren't rich, they need to pay WAY more taxes.

[jmowreader]

8. I doubt it's 50 percent, but a lot of Americans who work really don't pay taxes

There are the Making Work Pay and Earned Income Tax credits...those are refundable credits, so it's possible you could receive back in refund more than you had deducted in the first place.

I'm in that situation, and I worked really hard last year. I'm ashamed and embarrassed by this situation, and I am taking steps to correct it.

[n2doc]

18. What about sales taxes? Property taxes? n/t

[jmowreader]

28. And road tax, excise tax...

We could get nitpicky and talk about import duties on various articles of trade--those are taxes too, right?

I think we should limit our discussion of taxation in this context to the federal income tax. Then when a story like this comes out, instead of sitting around bitching about the people who aren't paying taxes, we can ask why Joe Smith went to Walmart every day, busted his ass changing oil forty hours per week, every week of the year (because he couldn't afford to take a vacation), and Walmart paid him so little the government sent him back more money than he sent them in the first place.

[Hestia]

9. and nothing is said about the corporations who do not pay taxes - they get off scot free

[Walk away]

10. That's right. Only republicans and Teabaggers pay taxes...

Liberals have a special IRS all their own that actually GIVES them money!

[leftyladyfrommo]

12. Our paper had the percentage at 74%

And its because so many people don't make enough to qualify to pay income tax. Kind of sad. That article said that a family can make up to $50,000 and not owe taxes if they have two children under the age of 17 - I might have that wrong. I'm going from memory here.

I don't pay income tax. I don't make enough. But I sure file faithfully each year because no way I want to get crossways with the IRS. I pay all sorts of other taxes.

[pinboy3niner]

13. Absolutely REFUTES their talking points...

that Americans are overburdened by taxes. Their concern is the tax burden of the WEALTHIEST Americans. Period.

[unpossibles]

15. yet they never seemt to make the connection to WHY they don't pay income taxes

although they do pay taxes even if they get a federal refund.

Furthermore, a larger percentage of corporations don't pay federal taxes, and it's not because they are poor. I'm sure he mentioned that too, right?

[MajorChode]

16. Here is why Hannity and the portly drug addict are completely full of shit

Federal non-FICA income taxes make up barely 1/4th of the entire US tax burden. So these fucksticks only want you to consider that small portion of tax revenue that poor people can't afford to pay because the rest, which is the lion's share of total taxation, is highly regressive. FICA makes up about 43% of all federal tax revenue and it's paid exclusively by the lower and middle classes. State and local taxes are highly regressive which means the lower and middle classes shoulder most of that burden too. The fucksticks never want to talk about those taxes.

[rurallib]

17. funny he didn't mention that EXXON paid no income tax in the US

[Viking12]

19. Silly, corporations are only 'people' when they influence elections....

[kestrel91316]

21. Not paying taxes and not paying INCOME taxes are two very different things.

Mr. Hannity is probably wealthy enough to have someone else do his taxes, so I guess we have to excuse his pathetic ignorance.

Payroll taxes impact EVERYONE who gets a paycheck, whether or not they make enough to pay INCOME taxes. And anyone who purchases anything subject to sales tax pays sales tax, just like anyone who owns taxable property pays property taxes.

[leftyladyfrommo]

25. There are lots of taxes beside income tax

I pay personal property tax on my car. I pay real estate taxes - a large portion of which is for schools. I pay city tax. And sales tax. I just don't pay income tax.

[progressoid]

22. Hannity lies. The sun rises in the east.

Just another day.

[bullwinkle428]

23. Some clown at DU was trying to push this meme a couple of weeks back -

the right has been pulling this one out every year at tax time, so I knew exactly what the motivation (aka "troll-tivation") was. I can remember the days when Rovian talking points resulted in tombstoning! Now...not so much. :(

[Warren Stupidity]

24. Oddly, republicans are now for more people paying more taxes.

What an astounding twist in their bizarro world view. The party of no tax cut left behind now is opposed to the Obama tax cuts for working people. It seems they support raising taxes on the working poor, on the middle class, on everyone except the filthy rich.

This is an opening so wide even our party's disfunctional media operations ought to be able to muster an attack.

[Pharaoh]

26. K&R! n/t

[Cali_Democrat]

27. Wait a minute.....I thought Hannity hated taxes

Surely he LOVES the fact that "50 percent" of people don't pay taxes.