TAXES FACT CHECK

I’m accused many times of only fact-checking things from the left. Well, I’m going to fact-check something from the left and the right. Bernie Sanders’ statement and a Turning Point meme. Let’s see who’s telling the truth.

The image is a political meme contrasting a quote from Bernie Sanders (“The wealthiest in this country do not pay their fair share!”) with a counter-claim: “Actually… the highest 10% of earners pay 90% of all taxes in America.”Fact Check Summary

• Bernie Sanders’ quote — This is a real, frequently repeated statement by Sanders, reflecting his long-standing view on income/wealth inequality and the need for higher taxes on the rich (e.g., via wealth taxes, higher marginal rates, or closing loopholes). It is subjective opinion, not a verifiable statistic.
• The counter-claim (“highest 10% pay 90% of all taxes”) — False / significantly exaggerated. The top 10% of earners do pay a large, disproportionate share of federal individual income taxes, but not 90% of “all taxes in America.” The actual figure for federal income taxes is around 70–76% in recent years (latest IRS data via Tax Foundation for tax year 2022: 72%).
  taxfoundation.org

Accurate Data (Latest Available: Tax Year 2022 IRS Statistics)Federal individual income taxes (the largest single source of federal revenue, but not “all taxes”):

• Top 1% (AGI over ~$663K): Earned ~22.4% of total income, paid 40.4% of all federal income taxes.
  taxfoundation.org
• Top 5%: Paid 61.0%.
• Top 10% (AGI over ~$178K): Earned ~49.4% of total income, paid 72.0% of federal income taxes.
  taxfoundation.org
• Bottom 50%: Earned ~11.5% of income, paid only 3.0% of federal income taxes.

Slight variations appear in other analyses (e.g., some reports cite 71–76% for top 10%), but the number has hovered in the 70–76% range in recent years and has trended upward over decades as the tax code remains highly progressive for income taxes.Important Context on “All Taxes”The meme says “all taxes in America,” which includes:

• Federal income taxes (~50% of federal revenue)
• Payroll taxes (Social Security, Medicare — roughly flat or mildly progressive)
• Corporate taxes
• State and local taxes (sales, property, excise — often regressive, meaning lower-income people pay a higher % of their income)

When looking at all federal, state, and local taxes combined:

• The top 10% still pay a disproportionate share (often 50–60+% of total tax burden, depending on the study).
• But the overall U.S. tax system is only mildly progressive overall. Lower-income groups pay higher effective rates on state/local taxes (sales/property), while the rich pay much higher rates on federal income taxes.
• Effective tax rates (taxes paid as % of income) for the top 1% are typically 25–35% overall, versus lower for middle and sometimes higher effective rates for the poor on consumption taxes.

The “90%” figure does not appear in any credible IRS, Tax Foundation, or Treasury data — it is a common rounding exaggeration or error in political memes.Bottom Line

• The top 10% of earners do pay the vast majority of federal income taxes (around 72%, not 90%), far more than their share of income. This supports arguments about the progressivity of the federal income tax system.
• However, the meme overstates the number and broadens it to “all taxes,” which makes the claim inaccurate.
• Sanders’ statement is an opinion about what constitutes a “fair share” (he advocates for even higher contributions from the wealthy). Data shows the system is already quite progressive on income taxes, though debates continue over effective rates, capital gains, loopholes, and total tax burden (including payroll/state/local).

This is a classic example of a partisan meme using a kernel of truth (high concentration of income tax payments) but inflating the statistic for impact. Reliable sources: IRS Statistics of Income (SOI), Tax Foundation analyses. Data can shift slightly year to year based on economy and policy changes.