The Numbers Don’t Lie-The Wealthy Are Paying More Taxes
More, more, more! So many people demand that the wealthy pay more taxes. ‘They must pay their fair share,” goes the battle cry. The question is what really constitutes a fair share? Truth be told, many of the nations wealthy pay a smaller percentage of taxes than most. However, that doesn’t mean they aren’t paying their fair share. Want proof? Then look no further than the number the IRS reported: in 2014, those who made more than $100,000 paid a combined 79.5 percent of all federal income taxes.
A closer look at the numbers from the IRS shows that more than 148 million Americans filed a tax return in 2014. Of those, 23.7 million showed an AGI of a $100,000 or more. That equals 16 percent of all tax returns. Almost all of those returns reported tax due for a combined total of $1.079 trillion in taxes, which amounts to 79.5 percent of all federal income taxes paid in 2014.
Yes, the top 1 percent, or 16 percent in this case, make a lot more money than most people, but even though they have found many ways to lower their effective tax rate, they still pay nearly 80 percent of all the federal income taxes collected by the IRS. Is that a fair share? That’s a question for each person to answer.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2016/05/13/americans-who-make-more-than-100000-pay-80-of-federal-income-taxes/#50015fe02f7a/
Turning Ordinary Lives into Living Legacies
“There was a measurable connection between how well they knew their family stories and how successful they were.” — Kasia Flanagan, founder of Everyday Legacies When historian‑turned‑biographer Kasia Flanagan examined the lives of mixed‑race German‑Samoan descendants for her PhD, she expected to chart migration patterns and cultural shifts. What she didn’t expect was the data point that changed her career:…
Roy Moëd on Turning Memories Into Masterpieces
“There are two dates: you’re born and you die — but it’s the dash in between that tells your story.”– Roy Moëd In an age of scrolling feeds and vanishing digital memories, Roy Moëd is championing something different — something timeless. Through his company LifeBook Memoirs, he’s helping individuals turn their life stories into beautifully…
Mark Lutz: A Lifelong Mission to End Extreme Poverty
When Mark Lutz speaks about eradicating extreme poverty, his passion emanates from a lifetime of service and firsthand experiences around the world. Lutz, Senior Vice President of Global Philanthropy at Opportunity International, has spent more than four decades raising funds for missions and microfinance—transforming countless lives in the process. A Childhood Shaped by Apartheid Born…
Aaron Manoucheri: Building a Multi Generation Legacy in Real Estate
Aaron Manoucheri, a third-generation real estate investor and partner at Manoucheri Brothers LLC, understands the delicate balance between tradition and innovation in the family business. In a recent interview on American Dreams, he shared his journey, philosophy, and insights on navigating the ever-changing real estate landscape while maintaining a deep connection to his roots. A Legacy…