2 Answers

CURRENTLY 33%

On average, the wealthiest people in America pay a lot more taxes than the middle class or the poor, according to private and government data.

They pay at a higher rate, and as a group, they contribute a much larger share of the overall taxes collected by the federal government.

The wealthy pay 35% on income and 15 on capital gains and to say that the middle class and poor don't pay much in taxes is simplistic and stupid. The fact is that they simply don't make enough money.They pay paroll  taxes, state and local taxes, gas taxes, property taxes, sales taxes and myiad other fees and taxes, so, they are hardly tax free. While we are at it, why don't we have a little pity party for the wealthy? The top 1% of earners in this country control 40% of the nations wealth and the top 10% control over 60%. Furthermore, this group of americans have the power to disproportionally influence politics which in turn gives them the ability to keep even more of their money and consequently have an even greater influence. Take a look sometime at the earnings of  the different economic strata in this country and you will see that the average earners income has deterioated while the wealthy have amasssed greater wealth than at any time in history.