Government has become increasingly dependent on top earners

If there was any confusion over whether the income tax burden is progressive or regressive in the United States, a recent report by the Tax Foundation, “Putting a Face on American’s Tax Returns,” clears things up.

If there was any confusion over whether the income tax burden is progressive or regressive in the United States, a recent report by the Tax Foundation, ?Putting a Face on American?s Tax Returns,? clears things up. A tax system in which the top 10 percent of taxpayers pay more than 70 percent of all income taxes is most definitely progressive.

In summarizing the data, the report notes:

In 2009, the top 1% of taxpayers?which totals roughly 1.4 million taxpayers?paid about 38% of all income taxes. That is a greater share of the income tax burden than was paid by the bottom 90% of taxpayers combined, which totals more than 120 million taxpayers. The top 10% of taxpayers pay more than 70% of all income taxes. Meanwhile, the bottom 50% of taxpayers (about 70 million in total) pays just 2.3% of all income taxes.

There are groups in Illinois, such as the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability, or CTBA, which argue Illinois needs to make the rich pay their ?fair share? by swapping out the state?s flat rate income tax for a progressive tax. But the progressive tax plan being pushed by the CTBA wouldn?t only hit the rich ? it would be a tax increase on 85 percent of taxpayers in Illinois.