What Americans Pay in Taxes

Last year, 2011, the federal government collected a total of $2.3 trillion in taxes. The majority of this was made up of by two sources, income tax which accounted for $1.1 trillion and payroll taxes, which accounted for $741.2 billion.

The graphic below (courtesy of NPR's Planet Money) displays the breakdown and extents of each of the respective taxes. The other forms of taxes are composed of corporate taxes ($200.8 billion), estate and gift taxes ($9.6 billion) and other forms ($268.7 billion).

What Taxes Go Towards:

The grand old question, but here are some basics on where each of these subsets of taxes go. Payroll taxes are deducted automatically from a person's paycheck, paid in part by employers and fund Social Security and Medicare. Individual income taxes pay for most of what the government does other than Social Security and Medicare. Other taxes such as estate taxes come from large inheritances, corporate tax paid by corporations, and the others category include customs duties, excise taxes on products (gasoline and the like).

How Much Do Americans Pay:

Below is a graphic that explains the average federal rate and average federal taxes paid per household for each income bracket.

For more on the subject, visit NPR's Planet Money blog:
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/04/13/150441259/what-america-pays-in-taxes