REMARKABLE TAX STATISTICS

(h/t Steve Benen)


I guess I've heard so many times over the years that taxes are too high that I find these stats surprising.

Tax bills in 2009 at lowest level since 1950
Updated 5/12/2010 5:16 PM
By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY

Federal, state and local income taxes consumed 9.2% of all personal income in 2009, the lowest rate since 1950, the Bureau of Economic Analysis reports. That rate is far below the historic average of 12% for the last half-century. The overall tax burden hit bottom in December at 8.8.% of income before rising slightly in the first three months of 2010.

There's an accompanying graph for the years 2000-2009:

I went to the BEA site and found the corresponding numbers for the quarters of 2010:

INCOME TAXES PERCENT

Q1 12,350.3 1134.7 9.19%

Q2 12,517.1 1149.1 9.18%

Q3 12,592.8 1177.7 9.35%

Q4 12,721.1 1206.4 9.38%

UPDATE: The AP has a more detailed breakdown.