SOURCES OF TAX REVENUE
The three main sources of federal tax revenue are individual income taxes, payroll taxes, and corporate income taxes; other sources of tax revenue include excise taxes, estate tax, and other taxes and fees.
Almost half of all federal revenue (47 percent) comes from individual income taxes. The income tax is generally progressive: higher-income households pay a larger share of their income in income taxes than lower-income households do.Another 33 percent of revenue comes from payroll taxes, which are assessed on the wage or salary paychecks of almost all workers and used to fund Social Security, Medicare Hospital Insurance, and unemployment insurance. By law, employers and employees split the cost of payroll taxes, but research has shown that employers pass their portion of the cost on to workers in the form of lower wages.
Payroll taxes as a whole are regressive: they collect a higher percentage of total earnings from lower-income workers than higher-income ones. However, if one looks at the overall impact of Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance the benefits they provide as well as the taxes they collect - these programs are progressive.
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Corporate income taxes make up about 11 percent of federal revenue, with the remaining 9 percent coming from excise taxes, estate taxes, and other taxes. Excise taxes are collected on the sale of certain goods (e.g., fuel, alcohol, and tobacco); they are intended to raise revenue and, in some cases, discourage consumption of the taxed product. The estate tax is a tax on assets such as cash, real estate, or stock that are transferred from deceased persons to their heirs. Another source of federal revenue profits from assets held by the Federal Reserve System. The small remainder of federal revenues comes from various sources such as regulatory fees and customs duties.
Payroll taxes as a whole are regressive: they collect a higher percentage of total earnings from lower-income workers than higher-income ones. However, if one looks at the overall impact of Social Security, Medicare, and unemployment insurance the benefits they provide as well as the taxes they collect - these programs are progressive.
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Corporate income taxes make up about 11 percent of federal revenue, with the remaining 9 percent coming from excise taxes, estate taxes, and other taxes. Excise taxes are collected on the sale of certain goods (e.g., fuel, alcohol, and tobacco); they are intended to raise revenue and, in some cases, discourage consumption of the taxed product. The estate tax is a tax on assets such as cash, real estate, or stock that are transferred from deceased persons to their heirs. Another source of federal revenue profits from assets held by the Federal Reserve System. The small remainder of federal revenues comes from various sources such as regulatory fees and customs duties.
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