Too often, debates about the federal tax code confuse or misrepresent important facts because they focus on only one part of our federal tax system — usually the individual income tax — and ignore the fact that Americans pay many other taxes.
Viewed in aggregate, our tax system is generally progressive, with higher-income taxpayers paying a larger share of their income in taxes than lower income groups. However, taxpayers at different ends of the income distribution pay different types of taxes:
It is also important to note that in the current system, two taxpayers with the same level of income could face very different tax bills because one takes advantage of more tax breaks than the other.
For more information on the American tax system, see:
Related: Infographic: How The U.S. Tax System Works