Before you start screaming about taxes this year, determine your actual effective tax rate.
Divide total taxes by total income on your tax form and multiply by 100. For example:
$6,000/$60,000=0.1 x 100= effective tax rate of 10%.
On a 1040 that is line 24 divided by line 11.
Note: some calculations use line 15 (instead of 11) which is adjusted gross income after deductions. I think this is misleading as to true effective tax rate.
For 50% of Americans the answer is about 3.7%.
The effective federal income tax rate for the top 10% is about 21.1%. The top 10% paid about 72% of all federal income taxes collected.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
Just checked my 2024 return. 1040 line 24 divided by line 11; 23.26%. I also pay NJ income tax NJ 1040 line 54 – total NJ tax due divided by line 29 – NJ gross income – – wait for it, 5.19%. I am retired so no FICA or other money grabs in box 12 of W-2’s FLI, DI, UI. Add in Medicare Part B and Part D, standard plus IRMMA, gas tax, sales tax, excise tax – pretty soon we are talking considerable amount of money.
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Unless you earned millions your effective tax rate is not 23%
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I’ll take that. I don’t recall exactly, but I think my gross income was just over $100k and federal taxes just over 10k. If the income for the top ten percent is over $200k and he pays 20+%, I would trade places in a heartbeat. On average, I don’t think that guy works twice as hard, or smart, as I do.
Tax the rich. And the semi-rich.
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Al Lindquist
the top 10% are most likely earning more than $200,000–if that person pays 20% then he pays $40,000 on $200,000 income–all you need to do is earn more money–what is the #? 48% of our fellow citizens have no federal tax obligation? Now that’s wacky!
Your fellow citizen, I suspect, knows full well what taxes provide–they just want others to pay and not themselves, thus taxes on billionaires which drive many to low tax states.
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Al Lindquist:
federal–state–property–Social Security & Medicare–sales tax–excise tax–gas tax–??? how about a toll taxes–enter NYC you pay a toll (tax)– pretty soon some states will really empty out as a result of taxes
would be interesting to see all my taxes–then we can ponder if we are getting value for cost.
Hope you and Connie have taken grandkids to Hyannis for the tour of Cape Cod Chips–they will soon (April) head out of the high tax state and to a lower tax domicile–of course not the Garden State with that great school system–the Journal highlighted other smaller companies heading to New Hampshire from the Bay State.
There is no pill for stupid as states (some) think they can tax their way to prosperity.
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Ah yes, been to Cape Cod factory several times, but no matter, since they sold out the chips are not the same.
Taxes are a way of life in an organized society, including those providing for the lower income. Even the Bible reminds people to pay their taxes.
Americans have nothing to complain about as far as taxes go, but they have no understanding of what taxes provide.
While people complain about taxes, they also demand more, especially seniors. I get a kick about property taxes. While we complain about those taxes, most people think teachers are underpaid and deserve more, but fail to make the connection.
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