How many Americans pay income tax ?

Only if they own property, which most poor people don't. But, yes, property taxes.

Yes, only 49% pay income taxes. So what's the point? Do we have any idea how much our governments collect per capita, is there any realistic way to figure our actual total tax burden? The link is to a non-exhaustive list of taxes in the US. I'll give a giant gold star to whoever can produce a per capita burden for ALL taxes--which would necessarily have to be by state at least. Local taxes vary as well.

Look at the list, on top of the biggies (fed/state/local income tax, SS and Medicare taxes, state and local sales/property taxes) and tell me we aren't overtaxed.

What is Taxed?

BTW, ALL of those taxes, including those euphemistically levied on corporations, are actually paid by individuals. They are necessarily built into the price of their goods and services. It's just another of many examples of double taxation.

You think property taxes aren't included in the rent?

Of course property owners charge enough rent to cover the property taxes they pay, but it's the property owner who pays the property tax. It's a business expense, and rent is income.

By the way, let me ask the question Tino asked but you didn't answer: are you implying you want to raise taxes?

From Shinobi's link:

"As measured in terms of total tax revenue as a share of overall GDP the average tax burden for countries that are members of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in 2008 was 44.8 percent. The U.S. -- 26.1 percent. The U.S. pays less taxes, as a share of GDP, than Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Austria, France, Netherlands, Germany, United Kingdom, Canada, Spain, Switzerland and Japan."

A gross oversimplification assuming all businesses operate on a razor thin margin.

True, but then tax deductions the landlord can claim is never going to be passed back down in the rent being reduced now would it?

I used the tax deductions on my rental to upgrade it. And this year I'll bank them so that next year I can put in a new HVAC unit.. Not all landlords are greedy.. I only break even on my rental house right now, so the tax deductions are the only resource I have to improve and maintain it..

And when I've paid off the mortgage, it will be a decent chunk of my retirement income, so I don't have to be like those greedy conservatives who leach off the government for Social Security.

I work on housing issues. We love landlords like you!!!!!

They rent property, unless they're homeless.