2009 Federal Revenue and Spending Book of Charts

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The Top 10 Percent of Income Earners Paid 71 Percent of Federal Income Tax

The U.S. tax system is highly progressive. The top 1 percent of income earners paid 40 percent of all federal income taxes in 2006, while the bottom 50 percent paid 3 percent. Further, 32 percent of all tax returns with positive adjusted gross income, 43 million total, filed in 2006 were from people who paid no federal income tax at all.

Percent of Federal Individual Income Tax Paid in 2006

Income Tax Paid
 
Source: Internal Revenue Service.

Key Research:
Taxes and Tax Rates

The Clinton Administration Oversaw the Highest Increase in Taxes per Household



Corporate Income Tax Receipts Stay Constant Even as Tax Rates Decline



Corporate Income Tax Cuts Boost Federal Revenues



Current Tax Receipts Below Historical Average



Federal Government Revenues Have More Than Tripled Since 1965



Income Tax Receipts Stay Constant Even as Tax Rates Decline



Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey Have the Highest Percentage of Taxpayers Paying the Alternative Minimum Tax



A Breakdown of Federal Revenue Sources



Taxes per Household Have Risen Dramatically



The Top 10 Percent of Income Earners Paid 71 Percent of Federal Income Tax



Total Tax Burden Is Rising to Highest Level in History