--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The latest Congressional Budget Office…" description: "\"“The latest Congressional Budget Office figures show that the top 1 percent of income earners in the United States paid 39 percent of federal income ta..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/mark-r-levin-13287_income-tax_the-latest-congressional-budget-office-f_1148276.jpg" --- # The latest Congressional Budget Office figures show that… ![“The latest Congressional Budget Office figures show that the top 1 percent of income earners in the United States paid 39 percent of federal income taxes while earning 18 percent of pretax income and the top 5 percent of income earners paid 61 percent of federal income taxes while earning 31…” quote by Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/mark-r-levin-13287_income-tax_the-latest-congressional-budget-office-f_1148276.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/mark-r-levin-13287_income-tax_the-latest-congressional-budget-office-f_1148276.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/644/mark-r-levin-13287_income-tax_the-latest-congressional-budget-office-f_1148276.jpg) > ““The latest Congressional Budget Office figures show that the top 1 percent of income earners in the United States paid 39 percent of federal income taxes while earning 18 percent of pretax income and the top 5 percent of income earners paid 61 percent of federal income taxes while earning 31 percent of pretax income. Indeed, the top 40 percent of income earners paid 99.4 percent of federal income taxes. The bottom 40 percent of income earners paid no federal income tax and received 3.8 percent from the tax system. And the middle 20 percent of income earners pay only 4.4 percent of federal income taxes.3”” [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The tax burden falls heavily on higher earners, while many low‑income households pay little or receive benefits. **In simple terms:** Rich pay most taxes; poor pay little. Key Takeaway Recognize tax progressivity and its policy implications. Themes taxation income inequality public finance Mood analytical concerned Type informative policy‑oriented When to use this quote - policy debate - budget planning - advocacy - public education Key Concepts progressive tax wealth distribution Questions to Reflect On - How might tax policy be reformed to address equity? A Different Perspective Does the data reflect all forms of taxation, such as payroll or state taxes? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Taxes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/taxes/) ## Related quotes > [Ford's federal income tax rate was just 2.3 percent in 2009 even though it made $3 billion in profits.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernie-sanders/ford-s-federal-income-tax-rate-was-just-2-3-percent-in-2009-even/) [Bernie Sanders](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernie-sanders/) > [“the Reagan years "produced one of the most dramatic redistributions of income in the nation's history…The income of families in the bottom decile fell…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-b-edsall/the-reagan-years-produced-one-of-the-most-dramatic-redistributions-of/) [Thomas B. Edsall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-b-edsall/) > [You could raise the price of, say, a bottle of ketchup to $1.03 instead of $1, and no one would know. Raising prices just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-sinegal/you-could-raise-the-price-of-say-a-bottle-of-ketchup-to-1-03-instead/) [James Sinegal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-sinegal/) > [... the top 10 percent of incomes pay 70 percent of the income taxes and cast about 25 percent of the vote.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dick-morris/the-top-10-percent-of-incomes-pay-70-percent-of-the-income-taxes-and/) [Dick Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dick-morris/) > [I love to tell how I'm suffering because one percent we're paying 25 percent of the total. We're not paying 25 percent of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-warren-buffett/i-love-to-tell-how-i-m-suffering-because-one-percent-we-re-paying-25/) [Howard Warren Buffett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-warren-buffett/) > [Anyone who has followed the U.S. economy in recent years can tell you while corporate America and their wealthy executives have recovered from the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-p-hoffa/anyone-who-has-followed-the-u-s-economy-in-recent-years-can-tell-you/) [James P. Hoffa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-p-hoffa/) > [“Right now the top 50 percent of taxpayers pay almost 96 percent of the taxes. The top income earners--the evil top 1 percent--earn about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neal-boortz/right-now-the-top-50-percent-of-taxpayers-pay-almost-96-percent-of/) [Neal Boortz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neal-boortz/) > [I know that I pay 48 percent of my income to taxes. You know, I wouldn't mind so much if it wasn't going just…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roseanne-barr/i-know-that-i-pay-48-percent-of-my-income-to-taxes-you-know-i-wouldn/) [Roseanne Barr](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roseanne-barr/) > [In America, we've set up a system whereby when you take on college debt, you will never have to pay more than 10 percent…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barack-obama/in-america-we-ve-set-up-a-system-whereby-when-you-take-on-college/) [Barack Obama](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barack-obama/) > [Regarding the Economy & Taxation: America's most successful achievers do pay a higher share of the total tax burden. The top one percent income…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rush-limbaugh/regarding-the-economy-taxation-america-s-most-successful-achievers-do/) [Rush Limbaugh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rush-limbaugh/) > [If you have to pay about forty to forty-three percent of your income for housing, you also have to pay fifteen percent of your…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-hudson/if-you-have-to-pay-about-forty-to-forty-three-percent-of-your-income/) [Michael Hudson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-hudson/) > [We give 10 percent of our income to our church every year. Do you think that is the kind of person who is trying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-romney/we-give-10-percent-of-our-income-to-our-church-every-year-do-you/) [Ann Romney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-romney/) > [I would rather receive one percent of the income of 100 men, than 100% of the income of one man.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-paul-getty/i-would-rather-receive-one-percent-of-the-income-of-100-men-than-100/) [J. Paul Getty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-paul-getty/) > [“According to our estimates, the optimal top tax rate in the developed countries is probably above 80 percent.50 Do not be misled by the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-piketty/according-to-our-estimates-the-optimal-top-tax-rate-in-the-developed/) [Thomas Piketty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-piketty/) > [By 2015, the top 1 percent of families took home more than 20 percent of income. Wealth distribution was 10 times worse than that:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/heather-cox-richardson/by-2015-the-top-1-percent-of-families-took-home-more-than-20-percent/) [Heather Cox Richardson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/heather-cox-richardson/) ## More by Mark R. Levin > [“Locke said, as have others, that natural law is forever and enduring, and man-made law, which may vary from place to place and time…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/locke-said-as-have-others-that-natural-law-is-forever-and-enduring/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Again, for Wilson and the progressives, the American founding was simply a historical event distinct to its own moment and condition. Progress requires that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/again-for-wilson-and-the-progressives-the-american-founding-was/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“In utopia, rule by masterminds is both necessary and necessarily primitive, for it excludes so much that is known to man and about man.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/in-utopia-rule-by-masterminds-is-both-necessary-and-necessarily/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“THE END OF THE nineteenth century saw the rise of a movement thoroughly hostile to the underlying principles of the nation’s founding—the “Progressive Movement.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/the-end-of-the-nineteenth-century-saw-the-rise-of-a-movement/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Dewey was a stern critic of capitalism and private property rights, which he condemned as a relic of early American principles reinforced in current…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/dewey-was-a-stern-critic-of-capitalism-and-private-property-rights/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Especially threatening, therefore, are the industrious, independent, and successful, for they demonstrate what is actually possible under current societal conditions—achievement, happiness, and fulfillment—thereby contradicting…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/especially-threatening-therefore-are-the-industrious-independent-and/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“For Croly, the entire process of popular sovereignty exercised through representative republicanism, which led to the drafting, adoption, and ratification of the United States…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/for-croly-the-entire-process-of-popular-sovereignty-exercised-through/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Equality, as understood by the American Founders, is the natural right of every individual to live freely under self-government, to acquire and retain the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/equality-as-understood-by-the-american-founders-is-the-natural-right/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Herbert Croly (1869–1930) was among the leading academic and progressive thinkers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/herbert-croly-1869-1930-was-among-the-leading-academic-and/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“In a recurring theme among progressives, Croly condemned the Constitution’s separation of powers, a doctrine essential to averting centralized tyranny, as the main obstacle…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/in-a-recurring-theme-among-progressives-croly-condemned-the/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“The danger of rejecting America’s founding principles is illustrated best in this instance by Wilson himself. As is well documented, Wilson was an open…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/the-danger-of-rejecting-america-s-founding-principles-is-illustrated/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“if our rights are not unalienable, if they don’t come from a source higher than ourselves, then they’re malleable at the will of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/if-our-rights-are-not-unalienable-if-they-don-t-come-from-a-source/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Cicero argues that the source of justice, truth, virtue, etc.—in a word, morality—is natural law. It is permanent and supreme, unalterable by man or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/cicero-argues-that-the-source-of-justice-truth-virtue-etc-in-a-word/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“Moreover, the bureaucracy will be of the noblest and most virtuous sort, with no personal, political, or ideological agenda, motivated solely and completely by…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/moreover-the-bureaucracy-will-be-of-the-noblest-and-most-virtuous/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) > [“In the civil society, the individual is recognized and accepted as more than an abstract statistic or faceless member of some group; rather, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-r-levin/in-the-civil-society-the-individual-is-recognized-and-accepted-as/) [Mark R. Levin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) [Explore all 51 Mark R. Levin quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-r-levin/) ## More Income tax quotes > [“Liturgy gathers the holy community as it reads the Holy Scriptures into the sweeping tidal rhythms of the church year in which the story…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eugene-h-peterson/liturgy-gathers-the-holy-community-as-it-reads-the-holy-scriptures/) [Eugene H. Peterson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eugene-h-peterson/) > [While opponents label (Howard) Dean a throwback liberal, The New York Times recently noted that as governor, Dean cut income taxes, reformed welfare and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-stewart/while-opponents-label-howard-dean-a-throwback-liberal-the-new-york/) [Jon Stewart](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-stewart/) > [The young man shivered. He rolled the stock themes of fantasy over in his mind: cars and stockbrokers and commuters, housewives and police, agony…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/the-young-man-shivered-he-rolled-the-stock-themes-of-fantasy-over-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [Higher projected corporate and personal income tax receipts and lower public debt charges.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ralph-goodale/higher-projected-corporate-and-personal-income-tax-receipts-and-lower/) Ralph Goodale > [I guess you will have to go to jail. If that is the result of not understanding the Income Tax Law, I will meet…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elihu-root/i-guess-you-will-have-to-go-to-jail-if-that-is-the-result-of-not/) [Elihu Root](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elihu-root/) > [We very much hope that as we get growth that we can reduce the burden of taxation, that we can reduce income tax and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-thatcher/we-very-much-hope-that-as-we-get-growth-that-we-can-reduce-the-burden/) [Margaret Thatcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-thatcher/) > [I don't like the income tax. Every time we talk about these taxes we get around to the idea of 'from each according to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-coleman-andrews/i-don-t-like-the-income-tax-every-time-we-talk-about-these-taxes-we/) T. Coleman Andrews > [We're talking about should we increase taxes? Why not put a tax on carbon emissions. It would raise a lot of money, it would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-f-engle/we-re-talking-about-should-we-increase-taxes-why-not-put-a-tax-on/) [Robert F. Engle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-f-engle/) > [For every day the government is shut down, it should be that we don't have to pay income tax that day because they're not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jesse-ventura/for-every-day-the-government-is-shut-down-it-should-be-that-we-don-t/) [Jesse Ventura](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jesse-ventura/) > [Conventional wisdom on government's role in inequality often has it backwards. Tax reforms have resulted in a more progressive federal income tax; government transfer…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-ryan/conventional-wisdom-on-government-s-role-in-inequality-often-has-it/) [Paul Ryan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-ryan/) > [President Trump repeatedly says that "America is the highest-taxed country in the world." This is an alternative fact. We pay less in taxes, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-r-reid/president-trump-repeatedly-says-that-america-is-the-highest-taxed/) [T.R. Reid](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/t-r-reid/) > [If you're a full-time manager of your own property - and full-time, according to Congress, is 15 hours a week - you can take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hillary-clinton/if-you-re-a-full-time-manager-of-your-own-property-and-full-time/) [Hillary Clinton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hillary-clinton/) > [I prefer an income tax, but the truth is I am afraid of the discussion which will follow and the criticism which will ensue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-howard-taft/i-prefer-an-income-tax-but-the-truth-is-i-am-afraid-of-the-discussion/) [William Howard Taft](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-howard-taft/) > [“Dr Abram Hoffer from Canada has treated 5,000 people diagnosed with schizophrenia with high-dose multinutrients, especially large doses of vitamin B3 and vitamin C.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-holford/dr-abram-hoffer-from-canada-has-treated-5-000-people-diagnosed-with/) [Patrick Holford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-holford/) > [There is some talk of lowering (the income tax), and they will have to. People are not making enough to pay it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/will-rogers/there-is-some-talk-of-lowering-the-income-tax-and-they-will-have-to/) [Will Rogers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/will-rogers/) Browse all 374 Income tax quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“The latest Congressional Budget Office figures show that the top 1 percent of income earners in the United States paid 39 percent of federal income taxes while earning 18 percent of pretax income and the top 5 percent of income earners paid 61 percent of federal income taxes while earning 31 percent of pretax income. Indeed, the top 40 percent of income earners paid 99.4 percent of federal income taxes. The bottom 40 percent of income earners paid no federal income tax and received 3.8 percent from the tax system. 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