Quote from futurecurrents:
"About half of taxpayers paid no federal income tax last year. It does not mean they paid no tax at all. Many shelled out Social Security and Medicare payroll taxes. In fact, only 14 percent of Americans didnât pay either income or payroll taxes. Some paid property taxes and, it is fair to say, just about all of them paid sales taxes of one kind or another. So to say they pay no taxes is flat wrong.
However, this class warfare-like rhetoric plays to a perception that the income tax is a chump tax: Only hard-working folks like us pay it. The welfare queens donât. The super-rich donât. It is a powerful emotional argument. It is also flat wrong.
The actual number of Americans who donât pay any taxes isnât half, but 14%. This group of non-taxpayers of any kind is largely composed of the elderly and disabled. The people who donât pay taxes do so because they canât work."
http://www.politicususa.com/en/half-americans-taxes
Just to add that since SS, FICA is capped at about $110,000. So anyone making more than that is basically not paying a 'share' into the SS lock box. Another exemption I guess. I don't mind it, as they say, 'it's the law." Raise that to $300,000 or so we have more revenue to avert the SS crisis in 2030 or whenever the latest comes due.
c