Who are the highest tax payers in the US?
The top 1 percent of taxpayers (AGI of $548,336 and above) paid the highest average income tax rate of 25.99 percent—more than eight times the rate faced by the bottom half of taxpayers.
Altogether, the top 50 percent of filers earned 90 percent of all income and were responsible for 98 percent of all income taxes paid in 2021. The other half of earners, those with incomes below $46,637, collectively paid 2.3 percent of all income taxes in 2021.
The top 1% of taxpayers — those who earn $561,351 or more — paid 42.3% of the total tax revenue collected in 2020, according to the latest figures from the IRS. In fact, the top 1-percent of taxpayers paid more income taxes than the bottom 90-percent all together.
The highest-earning Americans pay the most in combined federal, state and local taxes, the Tax Foundation noted. As a group, the top quintile — those earning $130,001 or more annually — paid $3.23 trillion in taxes, compared with $142 billion for the bottom quintile, or those earning less than $25,000.
Who is the highest individual taxpayer in the world? Ans. As per FY 2021 reports, Jeff Bezos was the highest individual taxpayer in the world by, paying over USD 2.4 billion in taxes.
For example, white Americans are 83 percent of total taxpayers, and the percentage of zero-tax filers who are white is 79 percent. African Americans are roughly 13 percent of total taxpayers and 17 percent of zero-tax filers. Asian Americans comprise 3.6 percent of total taxpayers and 3.4 percent of zero-tax filers.
According to a 2021 White House study, the wealthiest 400 billionaire families in the U.S. paid an average federal individual tax rate of just 8.2 percent. For comparison, the average American taxpayer in the same year paid 13 percent.
Outside of work, they have more investments that might generate interest, dividends, capital gains or, if they own real estate, rent. Real estate investments, as seen above under property, offer another benefit because they can be depreciated and deducted from federal income tax – another tactic used by wealthy people.
Increased taxes on the wealthiest individuals could lift people out of poverty, address the climate crisis, fund childcare, and create well-paying jobs. We urge you to join Oxfam's global community and make the ultra-rich pay their fair share of taxes.
The Wall Street Journal, which defines the rich as the highest-income taxpayers who account for 1 percent of total AGI, states that “the basic truth is that the rich really do pay their fair share.” What is fair is always a judgment call.
What is the most tax friendly state to live in?
According to the updated MoneyGeek analysis, the most “tax friendly” state overall was Nevada, where the median family owes about 3% of its income in taxes. Meanwhile, 13 states earned either a D or F grade for tax burdens.
- New Hampshire: 0%
- Oregon: 0%
- Alaska: While there's technically no state-level sales tax, some localities may impose their own taxes, averaging a low combined rate of 1.76%.
- Hawaii: 4.44%
- Wyoming: 5.34%
- Wisconsin: 5.43%
- Maine: 5.50%
- Virginia: 5.65%
As of 2023, nine states — Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington and Wyoming — do not levy a state income tax.
“Progressive” means that as you make more, you pay a higher tax rate. The idea is that those who can afford it should pay more in taxes. There are a lot of flaws and loopholes in this premise, as well as broader problems with the American tax system, but that's the idea.
High Income Return Details
Income, deductions, credits, and tax for returns with and without U.S. income tax and with income of $200,000 or more.
Asian Americans, with a population of around 1.8 crore, are the highest-earning ethnic group in the USA. The median household income for Asian-Americans stands at $87,243.
“Measuring and Mitigating Racial Disparities in Tax Audits.” Stanford University, SIEPR WP 23-02 (January). The IRS does not collect data on taxpayer race.
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.
The amount a person receives in Social Security benefits is not directly affected by their current income or wealth. Therefore, even if someone is a millionaire or billionaire, they can still receive Social Security benefits if they have a qualifying work history.
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.
Do rich people use credit cards?
Most wealthy people don't see credit cards as a way to splurge on luxuries or accumulate debt. Instead, rich people use credit cards to their financial advantage. Let's explore the six credit card habits rich people use to maximize their money.
Middle class: Those in the 40th to 60th percentile of household income, ranging from $55,001 to $89,744. Upper middle class: Households in the 60th to 80th percentile, with incomes between $89,745 and $149,131. Upper class: The top 20% of earners, with household incomes of $149,132 or more.
8 most secretive billionaires in the world, revealed: from Marvel's Isaac Perlmutter who was 'fired' from Disney, to Chanel's Alain and Gérard Wertheimer, and Frederick Barclay.
EMPLOYEE NET AVERAGE TAX RATE
In the United States, the average single worker faced a net average tax rate of 24.8% in 2022, compared with the OECD average of 24.6%.
Whether you're living paycheck to paycheck or trying to build wealth, the idea of becoming a millionaire probably seems out of reach. You might be surprised to learn, then, that there are approximately 22 million millionaires in the U.S.
