I view those as paying the same RATE. Obviously the $500k/$100k person

pays more in absolute dollars. I think the $500k person SHOULD pay a higher rate than the $100K person... but they currently do. The average household with $500K of income does pay ~$100K in income taxes (or between 25 and 30%). The average household earning $50K pays a single digit % in taxes.

Just taking the data from the WSJ I linked above, someone in the top 1% earns $1.48m in AGI (not taxable income so deductions don't factor into AGI) and pays $402K in taxes for an effective tax rate of 27.1%. Someone in the 50-75 percentile earns $57k (AGI) on average and pays $4k in taxes for an effective rate of 7%. So yes, I view the $1.48m person as paying more in taxes... because they DO pay more in taxes, both in $ and in %

As to your original post about share of income by top earners being higher now than it was 30-50 years ago so they should pay a higher share of taxes... I agree. And they absolutely do. If you go to the WSJ article, there is a link to summary tax data on the right. It is in spreadsheet form. If you go to tab "table 6" it has share of total income tax by percentile from 1980-2015. In 1980, the top 10% paid 49.2% of income taxes. in 2015 they paid 70.59%. The top 1% paid 19% of taxes in 1980. In 2015, they paid 39%

(In response to this post by Fuzzy Dunlop)

Posted: 01/14/2019 at 3:45PM

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"There's plenty of money in the world. Its just in the wrong hands" ** -- TpkeHoo 01/14/2019 11:00AM

"Philosopher King" BS ** -- MasterRusty 01/14/2019 6:16PM

There's probably something to that statement. -- KaHOOnah 01/14/2019 6:08PM

What he said wasn't great -- Fuzzy Dunlop 01/14/2019 1:00PM

Except he's been asked about it and has doubled (by now triple, quadruple, -- CharlestonSC 01/14/2019 1:23PM

He's made that point directly -- Fuzzy Dunlop 01/14/2019 1:36PM

That's a shocker. 3/4 of Americans think other people -- BocaHoo91 01/14/2019 2:29PM

You mean extremely populist position. Gee, 3/4's of Americans favor someone -- Hoodafan 01/14/2019 2:22PM

So? It doesn't make it the wrong thing to do, either -- Fuzzy Dunlop 01/14/2019 2:28PM

You just defined populist. What about the 47% or so that don't pay any Fed -- Hoodafan 01/14/2019 2:42PM

"You can't get more fair than that" -- Fuzzy Dunlop 01/14/2019 2:51PM

That is a progressive plan. It's 5% additional on everyone above poverty -- Hoodafan 01/14/2019 3:04PM

So you're saying that 47% pay no taxes? That's bullshit and you know it. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 01/14/2019 3:26PM

According to the WSJ article I linked, the bottom 60% of filers -- BocaHoo91 01/14/2019 4:03PM

It's pretty freaked up. But every time someone cuts taxes on the upper -- Shenhoo 01/14/2019 6:55PM

Pay no Fed Income taxes. That's what this populist position is talking -- Hoodafan 01/14/2019 3:36PM

Thank you for acknowledging the obvious. ** -- Seattle .Hoo 01/14/2019 4:14PM

Thank you for catching up on what I said all along. :-) ** -- Hoodafan 01/14/2019 4:33PM

The 60% is aggregate income taxes. So at the upper end of the 60% -- BocaHoo91 01/14/2019 4:04PM

Thanks for clarifying. That makes a lot more sense. ** -- Hoodafan 01/14/2019 4:07PM

Here's a WSJ article on the progressiveness of our tax code -- BocaHoo91 01/14/2019 2:39PM

I’m confused - populism is still bad, right? -- ResistHoo 01/14/2019 2:34PM

That group does bear a much larger share of the tax burden. The -- BocaHoo91 01/14/2019 2:31PM

I'll put you on the other 25 percent of that poll, then -- Fuzzy Dunlop 01/14/2019 2:39PM

I view those as paying the same RATE. Obviously the $500k/$100k person -- BocaHoo91 01/14/2019 3:45PM

75% of VA residents say we should double the tax rate for NOVA residents! -- Hoodafan 01/14/2019 2:51PM

We vote to keep our money and let you downstate shitkickers fend for -- WahooRQ 01/14/2019 3:38PM

I suppose the historical weight of deeming yourself the arbiter of such -- CharlestonSC 01/14/2019 12:03PM

Agree! I'm working hard to try to fix that, though. ** -- ResistHoo 01/14/2019 11:24AM

At least he's honest about his goals. ** -- Hoodafan 01/14/2019 11:12AM

"Corporations need to pay their fair share" ** -- Tuckahokie 01/14/2019 11:09AM

I'm fine with corporations paying less. I'd like to see the corporation -- Late 80s Hokie 01/14/2019 11:24AM

Out of curiosity, what form would you like the higher taxes on -- BocaHoo91 01/14/2019 12:56PM

I can't say that I have a comprehensive tax plan, but -- Late 80s Hokie 01/14/2019 1:35PM

I'm fine with the top marginal rates being reset to the previous levels -- BocaHoo91 01/14/2019 2:18PM