SOURCE: Data from TPC, Baseline Distribution of Cash Income and Federal Taxes, 2013, current law, January 2013. Compiled by PGPF.
NOTE: Data for cash income in 2012 dollars. A quintile is one fifth of the distribution. The top quintile is the richest 20% of households, while the bottom is the poorest 20%.
The federal income tax system is generally designed to be "progressive" — that is, the tax rate increases as income rises. For example, the top 0.1 percent of households bring in a disproportionate amount of total income (9 percent), but also pays a disproportionate amount of federal taxes (15 percent).
For more information on taxes and federal revenues, see this PGPF Tax Rate Explainer.
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Peter G. Peterson Foundation Chart Pack:
The PGPF chart pack illustrates that budget-making involves many competing priorities, limited resources, and complex issues. In this set of charts, we aim to frame the financial condition and fiscal outlook of the U.S. government within a broad economic, political, and demographic context. Download (.PDF)