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Originally Posted by sebastian_dangerfield
1. The other half also pays all those "other taxes." In addition to the income tax you and I pay, we also pay property taxes, sales taxes, school taxes, payroll taxes (or self employment). In other words, all the taxes the half who do not pay income tax pay.*
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They do, but payroll taxes phase out. Also, all those other taxes make up a much bigger portion of those people's income. The fact that the federal income tax is progressive is a feature, not a bug, and is in part specifically intended to offset the regressivity of all of those other taxes.
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NOTE 2: I am assuming the 47% includes wealthy individuals employing tax structures to avoid all income tax. I don't know where Romney got his number from, but those I've seen citing similar percentages do so based on blind review of tax revenues, including both those who earn too little to pay, and those who earn enough to hire accountants and lawyers to avoid paying.
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It probably does, but they aren't numerous enough to really count.
The 47% are mostly young people in school, old people who's income is primarily SS, and the truly poor.
