Yes, we can.

[Ghoulish Delight]

Originally Posted by Kevy Baby

You are supporting SCAE and my argument: the wealthy pay the highest percentage of taxes.

Also, "The top 1% pays about 35% of taxes" does not preclude my (trying to remember) numbers. It is just a smaller sampling from a larger subset.

Wiki again

In the United States at the end of 2001, 10% of the population owned 71% of the wealth, and the top 1% controlled 38%. On the other hand, the bottom 40% owned less than 1% of the nation's wealth. In 2003, the most-earning 1% of the population in the United States, which has a system of progressive taxation, paid over 34% of the nation's federal income tax; the most-earning 10% bore 66% of the total tax load; the top 25% of income earners paid 84% of the income taxes; and the upper half accounted for virtually the entire U.S. income tax revenue (nearly 97%).

So as I see it, with the top one percent controling 38% of the wealth but only paying 34% of the taxes (71%/66% for the top 10), the wealthiest are carrying a smaller tax burden by proportion than the tax brackets below them. They may account for a larger gross portion of the intake, however they are individually paying a smaller portion of their wealth than an individual in middle to lower class.

[Kevy Baby]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

So as I see it, with the top one percent controling 38% of the wealth but only paying 34% of the taxes (71%/66% for the top 10), the wealthiest are carrying a smaller tax burden by proportion than the tax brackets below them. They may account for a larger gross portion of the intake, however they are individually paying a smaller portion of their wealth than an individual in middle to lower class.

According to the numbers, the top 38% only paid 34%

1. The difference is not statistically relevant
2. The numbers are from two different years
3. The comparison is irrelevant because it compares wealth to income tax. We are taxed on our income, not our wealth.

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by Ghoulish Delight

....the wealthiest are carrying a smaller tax burden by proportion than the tax brackets below them. They may account for a larger gross portion of the intake, however they are individually paying a smaller portion of their wealth than an individual in middle to lower class.

We should raise taxes on the wealthy so that that are paying the same percentage of their wealth as everyone else. Poor rich people... Boo-hoo.....

[Alex]

Originally Posted by JWBear

We should raise taxes on the wealthy so that that are paying the same percentage of their wealth as everyone else. Poor rich people... Boo-hoo.....

I'm in favor of that. My sister pays 0% of her wealth in income taxes every year. I'd settle for that.