Mitt Romney‘s 2012 taxes have been subject to extensive scrutiny and he has been cast a one of the wealthy elite. The truth is percentage wise he pays more in taxes than most American households, which is an effective tax rate.
The average middle class household may be taxed at thirty-five percent, but with deductions and other tax exemptions, a family making between fifty to seventy-five thousand dollars may only pay around six percent. Many families owe no taxes or pay extremely low taxes. Conversely, the tax rates for people making over one-million dollars per year is approximately nineteen percent. Many families in this country benefit from the same tax rates as Romney. Anyone who has investment income is taxed at fifteen percent. He does not belong to a special group with unique privileges; he is taxed at the same rate on capital gains, as any other investor. Tax rates can be interpreted in many ways to make them look as though someone is not paying their share. The truth can become obscured and a regular taxpaying citizen can be painted as a greedy capitalist. The average person works hard and the percentage of their income that goes to taxes is often examined carefully.
Mitt Romney pays his taxes and he may actually pay more than most citizens. The government is currently faced with a huge deficit, unemployment, and myriad economic problems. Instead of looking at his tax rate, people should look at his success rate and how he plans to move this economy forward.
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- Effective Tax Rate: Not As Simple As It Seems (2010tax.org)
- Tax Carnival Ecstasy – January 24, 2012 (2012taxes.org)