Why I listen to NPR. Part 9, I think.
This month the brand-R talkers are repeating over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over the canard that "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes" "Half of Americans pay no taxes".

In the middle of that shitstorm, NPR comes through with a clear and concise refutation.

It's not simple in either direction, but the broad truth is backwards from the brand-R canard. On a percentage basis, which is the only meaningful way to describe anything in economics, the richest Americans pay the least and the upper-middle bears the heaviest burden.

Meanwhile, the middle is steadily losing ground in real income and the richest are gaining exponentially.

= = = = =

Personal note: Even if the "lower half pays no tax" legend is true, it never did me any damn good. For the last ten years my average income has been around $12k, which is unquestionably in the lower half. Probably the lowest decile. Every year I've paid the 15% SS/Medicare tax, and every year I've also paid some income tax. In the lowest years the standard deductions made the net tax quite small, but it's never been zero.
  ¶ 4:20 PM