How much taxes do middle class pay?
In 2021, the average American family in the middle 20% of income earners paid $17,902 in taxes to federal, state, and local governments. This includes direct taxes, such as income taxes, as well as indirect taxes, like payroll taxes. Of all the taxes the middle 20% paid in 2021, $10,391 went to federal income tax.
Middle-Class Income Doesn't Matter as Much as Tax Brackets
The lowest tax bracket is 10%. The highest tax bracket is 37%. If you're in the middle class, you're probably in the 22%, 24% or possibly 32% tax brackets. That may sound as if you're paying 22%, 24% or 32% of your income toward taxes, but you're actually not.
Tax Shares in Tax Year 2021
The newly released report covers Tax Year 2021 (for tax forms filed in 2022). The newest data reveals that the top 1 percent of earners, defined as those with incomes over $682,577, paid nearly 46 percent of all income taxes – marking the highest level in the available data.
| Tax Rate | Taxable Income (Single) | Taxable Income (Married Filing Jointly) |
|---|---|---|
| 10% | Up to $11,000 | Up to $22,000 |
| 12% | $11,001 to $44,725 | $22,001 to $89,450 |
| 22% | $44,726 to $95,375 | $89,451 to $190,750 |
| 24% | $95,376 to $182,100 | $190,751 to $364,200 |
But data from the U.S. Census Bureau cites a different number as the average salary: just under $75,000. What does this all mean? By the Census data, it means that if you earn between $50,000 and $150,000 a year, you are considered middle class.
One recent study, for instance, found that income taxes take, on average, nearly 10 percent of family earnings from high earners in the Golden State, but just 1.2 percent from middle-income residents. Even high taxes elsewhere, such as on gasoline, don't offset these advantages.
“On the other hand, the middle class primarily earns through wages, which are subject to higher income tax rates,” Feniak said. The IRS taxes long-term capital gains on a graduated scale that maxes out at 20%. That means even the richest households can pay no more than one dollar in five on their capital gains.
The U.S. tax system is designed to be progressive, indicating that higher-income Americans face higher tax rates, while lower-income people pay a smaller percentage of their earnings toward federal taxes.
While giant companies enjoyed record profits in recent years, many still pay lower tax rates than most working families. That's in part because many take advantage of generous tax breaks and stash profits in tax havens around the world.
In 2020, the latest year with available data, the top 1 percent of income earners earned 22 percent of all income and paid 42 percent of all federal income taxes – more than the bottom 90 percent combined (37 percent).
What is considered middle class?
One commonly used definition from the Pew Research Center sets a middle-class income between two-thirds and twice the national median income, or $67,819 to $203,458 for a family of four in 2022.
One common way to classify the upper middle class is based on income. The upper middle class is often defined as the top 15% to 20% of earners. According to the Social Security Administration's 2022 wage data, the average upper-middle-class income was roughly between $80,000 and $100,000.
Have an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) on your 2020 CA tax return, that is: If filing as Head of household, qualifying widow(er), Married/Registered Domestic Partner (RDP) filing jointly: $500,000 or less. If filing as Single or Married/Registered Domestic Partner (RDP) filing separately: $250,000 or less.
| Middle-Class Income Ranges | ||
|---|---|---|
| Household Size: | Single | Five |
| Income Range | $30,000 - $90,000 | $76,000 - $210,000 |
| Median Income | $33,350 | $91,000 |
“The exact figures fluctuate across different geographic regions,” Weiss said. “For instance, in California, where the median income is $84,097, the middle-class income bracket ranges from $56,065 to $168,194.” But California is a big place — as is every state in terms of regional income fluctuations.
Based on Pew's analysis, a three-person household would be considered low-income if they're bringing in less than $52,200 a year. This group makes up a significant chunk of the U.S. population, with about 38% of households making less than $50,000 in 2021.
Currently billionaires effectively pay far less personal tax than other taxpayers of more modest means because they can park wealth in shell companies sheltering them from income tax, the group said in its 2024 Global Tax Evasion Report.
At $200,000 a year, you are considered upper middle class in expensive coastal cities and rich in lower cost areas of the country. After $19,000 in retirement contributions to your 401(k), you are left with $181,000 in gross income, leaving you with roughly $126,700 in after tax income using a 30% effective tax rate.
On the other hand, instead of selling, you can take a loan using your assets as collateral. In this case, you get access to capital while your investment continues to earn dividends and appreciate in value. And unlike income generated from selling assets, the money from your loans isn't considered taxable income.
Another kind of magic trick is to place high-tax income into lower-tax or no-tax wrappers, which can include things like tax-advantaged retirement accounts. One example is what's called the private placement life insurance policy, a niche product that only the very wealthiest of the wealthy use.
How much does it cost to live a middle class lifestyle?
According to data from the Transparency Foundation's Cost of California Report, a typical middle-class family of three earning $130,000 a year faces a financial burden of more than $26,000 because of higher living expenses.
Many people aspire to a middle class lifestyle, which is often characterized with a sense of security and a steady income. The middle class typically enjoy a higher quality of life compared to those from lower-income groups, including access to better housing, healthcare, education and overall living conditions.
High-Income Taxpayers Paid the Majority of Federal Income Taxes. In 2020, the bottom half of taxpayers earned 10.2 percent of total AGI and paid 2.3 percent of all federal individual income taxes. The top 1 percent earned 22.2 percent of total AGI and paid 42.3 percent of all federal income taxes.
The largest tax burden for households in the bottom income quintile (the bottom fifth) comes from the payroll tax, followed by excise taxes and a small amount of corporate tax. The average federal tax burden is much lower for low-income households than for high-income households.
Florida has the nation's most regressive system in the nation. In a large majority of states, the combined state and local tax burden falls harder on low- and middle-income residents than on top earners. That's according to the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP), a liberal think tank in Washington.
