Reality check Who doesn't pay federal taxes
The statement that about half of U.S. taxpayers don't pay any income tax is often misinterpreted to mean that half don't pay any federal taxes at all.
Out of the tens of millions of households that will file federal tax returns to the IRS . . .
. . . 76 million will not pay any income tax in 2011.
That accounts for nearly half of all tax returns.
However, many of those filers WILL pay payroll taxes . . .
Leaving just 18 percent of Americans who don't pay any income OR payroll tax.
Leaving just 1 percent non-elderly, non-workers making more than $20,000.
SOURCE: Tax Policy Center. GRAPHIC: Karen Yourish and Laura Stanton - The Washington Post. Published Sept. 23, 2011.
