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Distribution of Federal Taxes

CBO regularly analyzes the distribution of incomes and federal taxes. For households with different levels of income and in various demographic groups, the agency reports estimates of average federal tax rates (federal taxes divided by income), shares of total federal taxes paid, and other metrics for total federal taxes and for the separate major sources of federal tax revenues.
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  • Taxation of Owner-Occupied and Rental Housing: Working Paper 2012-14

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The Distribution of Major Tax Expenditures in the Individual Income Tax System

report

May 29, 2013

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Taxation of Owner-Occupied and Rental Housing: Working Paper 2012-14

working paper

November 5, 2012

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Trends in The Distribution of Household Income, 1979–2009

presentation

August 8, 2012

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The Distribution of Major Tax Expenditures in the Individual Income Tax System

May 2013 - In 2013, the benefits of 10 of the largest tax expenditures will equal 11.7 percent of income for households in the lowest income quintile, 9.4 percent for the highest quintile, and under 8 percent for the middle quintiles, CBO estimates.

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  • Trends in the Distribution of Household Income Between 1979 and 2007

    October 25, 2011
  • Average Federal Taxes by Income Group

    June 01, 2010
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The Distribution of Household Income and Federal Taxes, 2008 and 2009

report

July 10, 2012

read complete document  (pdf, 300 kb)

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  • Trends in the Distribution of Household Income Between 1979 and 2007

    October 25, 2011
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Trends in the Distribution of Household Income, 1979-2007

presentation

May 17, 2012

read complete document  (pdf, 739 kb)

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Effective Federal Tax Rates: 1979 to 2001

report

April 1, 2004

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  • summary tables
  • effective tax rates
  • share of taxes paid
  • average before-tax household income
  • average after-tax household income
  • shares of before tax income
  • shares of after tax income
  • income ranges for each income class
  • all of the above information
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  • distribution of income, households with children
  • distribution of income, elderly households
  • distribution of income, nonelderly childless households
  • households paying more in payroll taxes than income taxes
  • median before-tax and after-tax income
  • sources of income, by income category
  • Historical Effective Tax Rates, 1979 to 2005: Supplement with Additional Data on Sources of Income and High-Income Households
  • Additional Analyses

  • data sources and assumptions
  • Effective Tax Rates: Comparing Annual and Multiyear Measures
  • Effective tax rates
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Data on the Distribution of Federal Taxes and Household Income

report

April 6, 2009

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Effective Federal Tax Rates, 1979-1997

report

October 1, 2001

read complete document  (pdf, 1074 kb)

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Effective Federal Tax Rates, 1997 to 2000

report

August 29, 2003

read complete document  (pdf, 910 kb)

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