the 400 wealthiest Americans took home an hourly “wage” of $97,000 in 2009 (the last year for which the IRS has provided data)10—a rate that has more than doubled since 1992.

The progressive design of the federal income tax is offset by the regressive nature of other taxes, including the fact that wealth (in the form of capital gains) is taxed at a lower rate than wages. When all taxes are accounted for, we’re all effectively taxed at the same rate. On average, poor and middle-class Americans dedicate approximately 25 p

With respect to the federal income tax, some believe that middle-class taxpayers are carrying the poor on their backs. But let’s look at the data. In 2018, the average middle-class family had an income of $63,900, paid $9,900 in federal taxes after all deductions, and received $13,600 in social insurance benefits (like disability and unemployment)