Anyone know how much the rich (upper 1%) pay as a proportion of personal federal income taxes? Is it fair?

Regarding the tax question earlier: The upper 1 % of wageearners/taxpayers pay approx. 35% (that's right, check the IRS stats) of personal federal income taxes, and the upper 5% pay approx. 55% of those taxes. For those of you who don't know any better, wealth is created and is not finite. Because one has it, it does not mean that it came from someone else. Stop being envious of the rich and crying about how much the middle class pays. The bottom 50% of taxpayers pay less than 5% (approx. 4%) of all personal federal income taxes. If that is news to anyone reading this, then you need to be better informed.

Public Comments

1. Rubbish!!
2. You are an idiot.
3. first off, DUH! secondly ... wow what a temper... are you really that much better then the rest of us that you feel like you can treat us with such animosity?
4. Even if we had a flat 10% income tax, the wealthiest among us would be paying a higher percentage of the total (Duh!). It's not that people are jealous of the wealthy, it's that someone who only makes 20,000 a year can't afford to pay $1000 of it into taxes. Get your nose out of your tax books, and spend some time with some actual people who have to work hard for what little they have. Try volunteering somewhere. Maybe then you'll have a clue. You sound like my MIL. "Oh, no! I only make $120,000 a year! How am I ever going to afford to live?"
5. "Because one has it, it does not mean that it came from someone else." I'm pretty sure you are in the minority of people - economists included - who believe this. And there is plenty of proof out there that the gap between the rich and poor, both nationally, and internationally, is growing considerably. And the rate of growth is also accelerating. But about taxes, yes, you are right on the money about that. Rich do pay a bigger percentage. And they spend lots of money lowering this number, getting tax breaks from Congress. It's like the tides. But for the most part, they are forced to pay a fair share.
6. you are getting some great answers here. yes did know that and though the richer people will get more money in their pockets the average person will get a greater percantage of it. facts are alot harder to argue againtist.
7. What are these crazy facts... when I log into Yahoo Answers I want crazy opinions from people who don't know anything about economics or reality. Most of the "EVIL" rich in this country are small business owners and investors who make most of our employment possible. A fair, flat tax system that is slightly progressive but radically simplified would help our economy immensly.
8. Think about this in apples. For fun, let's say that the total wealth of a nation of three people is 100 apples. A rich man owns 80 apples, a middle class person ownes 17, and a poor man ownes 3. Let's say that this nation can sell it's apples to buy water for 30 apples and each of the three people must give up a share of apples to buy the water. If we say that every person must give up 30% of their apples, the rich man gives up 24, the middle man gives up 5, and the poor man gives up 1. In the end, that leaves the rich with 56 apples, the middle with 12, and the poor with 2. Two apples, we all know, won't feed anyone, and the poor person will soon either die, steal apples from others, or become a burden. The 56 apples that the rich has left will feed a lot. So it would be better for the nation to have the rich man give up a higher percentage of apples for the good of the whole country.
9. Why did you ask this question if you already know the answer ??? That stat that you provided is a Federal Income Tax stat. It does not tell you that the upper 5 percent of wage earners are the ones who are running this county's economy. CEO's, PRESIDENTS, BUSINESS OWNERS, ETC. They also pay high property taxes, luxury taxes, state taxes, workers comp insurance, etc.
10. how much do the upper 5 percent make of the total income of the U.S.... A LOT MORE THAN 55 PERCENT.... AWWW.. POOR RICH PEOPLE... ARE YOU GOING TO CRY FOR ME? I'M NOT SO MUCH ENVIOUS AS DISGUSTED AT YOUR GREED... SORRY YOU DON'T GET TO KEEP ALL OF YOUR MONEY AND LET PEOPLE DIE IN THE STREET... HAVE FUN NOW... ETERNITY WILL NOT BE FUN FOR YOU...
11. pfft. freshman economics. if you make $1M then 33% is a HELL of a lot more than if you make $10k. when did this become a novel piece of information to you? i think that without knowing it you are skating on the issue of a flat rate tax, or suggesting maybe even descending graduated tax rate? apparently you must not make much more than 75k, because dude, as soon as i started making over 80 or so it became insanely easier to make even more and more, until it occurred to me that the work per dollar amount approaches fukin epsilon! man, if you are in that top 1%, and it pains you to allow a little deceleration of this exponential ease of earnings, then you are one selfish and lazy muther fukker! ever heard the American principle of WORKING HARD FOR YOUR MONEY? wait! i think i know your type! you gave absolutely zilcho to the Katrina victims because.. (my favorite excuse for avarice) "they were stupid enough to live below sea level" So maybe the rich folks living on Foxhall in DC deserve to die too because they were dumb enough to live near a terrorist target? hmm? hello? why'd you get quiet all of the sudden?
12. oh my word.........blah blah blah blah blah..... tiresome pity, think before you spurt out ridiculous rubbish. all things are relative are they not? ya, they are. if you are capable.......do the mathematics.