Hello Tad: Yes, you are correct that the wealthier pay a higher share of total taxes.

However, their real effective tax burden has decreased exponentially over the last 20 years especially. The upper 10-to-1% are the only income levels that show an increase over the last 40 years. They pay more because of the total imbalance of less than 10% accumulating all wealth, and share of total US income. The overall share per individual of their tax is minimal. The overall share per individual of the lower 3 quintiles is stagnant, and increased, because earning share has decreased exponentially, and due to deflation of USD over the same time period. So, comparatively speaking 80% of the population is doing all of the hardworking, up to more than 40 hours a week, plus overtime, and earning continuously less, ALTHOUGH, they are producing roughly 80% of the total pie, that only a few get to enjoy, and eat, and the few have not worked perhaps other than getting dressed up daily, and sitting in front of a camera after a hairdresser has done their hair, someone else futzed about their wardrobe, someone else did their makeup, served them 3 meals a day. Do you see any difference between that type of work compared to working as a garbage man, cleaning sewers, working in a factory, having every one of your movements monitored, up to even taking a toilet break, asking permission to do anything, running like crazy to make $15 an hour or less? The average wage today in the US is below $20.00 an hour, gross. $400 a week gross does not go very far, especially after deductions for SS, taxes, and insurance. A much higher percentage of the US population is earning significantly less, while a small percentage of the US population is earning way tremendously more.



However, it is important to reference on the CBO site: https://www.cbo.gov/topics/taxes/distribution-federal-taxes



Tax revenues are down extensively due to the last tax changes affecting corporations. The percentage of income that is taxed of the two higher earning quintiles has decreased exponentially, as the incomes of the 3 lower quintiles have stagnated, and actually decreased. The percentage share of net income of the lower quintiles, especially after calculating USD dollar parity for 2018+ has increased due to further decrease, stagnation, and depreciation of income that affects the lower 3 quintiles.



I haven't included other links for labor income comparisons, which really need to be viewed in parallel with the tax comparisons. I can find the links. I can also update the labor comparisons that reveal the income effects on the "retirees" that are pretty much being forced to return to work, as retirement is so minimal, that many are under the poverty levels for minimum incomes etc. The increase in workers is actually in the older age groups, with a decrease especially in the 16-24 age groups, and up to the age 50's. The changes in the decreased income today, are dire predictors that this younger generation of workers, will be facing up to extreme living conditions, by the time they are in their mid 30's-50's. With the effects of AI and robotization of task activities, there can be effectively further decrease in earned income levels. The lower quintiles are the producers of the society. Although they are the higher population count, work more hours, their income levels have been pushed to minimal levels since the 70's. It remains to be seen how low the loss in tax revenues can go. Presently, the effects on maintaining infrastructure is so bad, that only the few consolidated megalopolis in the US are functional urban productive, and prosperous centers. The rest of the US is not.



Significant increase in the US labor force has been in over 60 year olds. The

older workers aren't necessarily going back to work because it's fun. They have to to survive.



The younger workers are NOT earning a larger share, nor higher hourly wages over any significant length of time, like 5 years or more. Only a few are earning astounding incomes that skew the tax revenues, and survivability of the mass population.