Not true, Mary.

Source

That's a chart of income tax liability, not taxes. Of course income tax liability is going up for the rich and down for everyone else - that just means that the rich have more income to tax.

It doesn't mean that they are paying more, because in order to figure that out you'd need to know the marginal rates and total tax burden.

muckdog - my first source talks about tax burden, which includes income tax, capital gains tax, social security tax, etc. The taxes the superrich are going down and all the others are staying the same or come under a neat new stealth tax that is designed to make sure the middle class doesn't benefit:

--The 2001 Bush tax cuts included a stealth tax increase on the middle class and upper-middle class that will cost them a half trillion dollars in the first 10 years and, for 35 million families, wiping out part or all of their Bush tax cuts.

-- The stealth tax boost on people making $30,000 to $500,000 was explicitly used to make sure that the super rich would get their entire Bush tax cuts.

-- A California couple who make $75,000 to $100,000 and have two children face a 97 percent chance of losing part of their Bush tax cuts to this stealth tax increase and overall will lose 42 percent of their Bush tax cuts by next year.

-- If your child becomes seriously ill, Congress, under this same law, will raise your income taxes if you spend more than 7.5 percent of your income trying to keep your child alive.

Think about that when you go back and checki into what the parasitic Republican crew is doing.

Also if you follow muckdogs link back to "http://www.cbo.gov/showdoc.cfm?index=5324&sequence=0" the figures look a little different. The share of federal tax liabilities for the top 1% is 22.7% in 2001, not 65%. The averaging clouds the figures somewhat.

Guys, please don't expect a credible argument from Muckdog. He is only following the traditional GOP formula of changing the topic at hand, selecting stats that don't directly deal with the issue raised, repeat the half-truths and lies over and over again until they are accepted by a attention deficit disordered media into being a truth, and then never having to address the problem with their argument.

Muck is good at this practice and he should be complimented for his adherence to the party line. But don't expect credibility.

-- A California couple who make $75,000 to $100,000 and have two children face a 97 percent chance of losing part of their Bush tax cuts to this stealth tax increase and overall will lose 42 percent of their Bush tax cuts by next year.

I just finished my taxes, and for the first time ever had to pay the Alternative Minimum Tax. AND - that tax 'relief' I got last year? I had to add it back into my income to figure my tax bill!

Because of the changes in the Federal tax withholding laws, my state taxes were not withheld at the correct rate, so I had to pay them as well.

And lastly, I had to pick up the tuition for my college age kids because they no longer qualify for Federal assistance.

Result? I paid more - one way or another.

Thanks, George - for nothing!

Pessimist - I suspect that as Thursday comes closer and more people finally sit down to do their bookwork, more people are going to realize what a swindle has been perpetrated to them.

Belive it or not, there's still alot of people that do their own taxes and wait until April 14th to do them.

My wife and I must of got a raise that I did not know about because we earn 75,000 a year and I paid less taxes now than we did with Clinton. So I guess we must be in that 500,000 or higher tax rate. Face it, you liberals will mix the numbers to suit your needs. You just can't stand the fact that someone earns more money than you and you feel the need to take it away. This county needs poor people and rich people to make it run. If you want everyone to have equal pay then move to China where you belong.

Hey Pessimist:
Find a CPA to do your taxes you idiot. If you're in the $75-$100K income range and pay AMT, you're doing something wrong. Or, if you have to pay AMT, you made a shit-load of money and have too much of a certain type of deduction(s). There are only a few ways for people to owe AMT. I'm a CPA, and would advise you that you are getting in over your head. Seek professional help!
As far as your state taxes not being withheld at the correct rate is the mistake of your EMPLOYER, not the federal gov't! You have to take the initiative to make sure YOUR rates are being properly withheld. It's not the governments responsibility to make sure your withholding rates fit your needs. You liberals think the gov't should do everything...incredible!
Your kids no longer qualify for federal assistance because Daddy & Mommy make too much money! Another example of liberal expectations...you want everyone else to pay for your kids education! Well too fucking bad, you made too much money!!! PAY FOR IT YOURSELF!!!