Townhall.com - In Your Right Mind
For example, based on 2006 IRS data, the top 10% of earners made 47% of the adjusted gross income for the U.S. and paid 71% of the taxes; the middle 20% earned 13% of the income and paid 4.4% of the taxes; and the bottom 50% of earners made 12.5% of the income and paid 3% of the taxes. Presently, for about 33% of returns, no income tax at all is paid. Proposals by both McCain and Obama would increase no-pay returns to about 43%. The McCain plan would make the tax structure slightly less progressive by reducing the tax burden on the top 20% of earners by 3% while leaving lower income brackets essentially unchanged. Obama's plan would make taxes even more progressive by increasing the tax burden for the top 20% of earners by about 2% and decreasing the burden on the lowest 20% by 5.5%. Since lower income earners already don't pay income tax, income redistribution is a major feature in "reducing" their tax burden
