Mustachian People Problems (just for fun)

[GuitarStv]

I would have smiled at you.

Top 5 worst passengers
1) person reeking of perfume
2) person reeking of secondhand smoke or BO
3) kid kicking nonstop behind me
4) middle seat
5) non-stop screaming baby

I think you got 4 wrong. 

I was recently on a long haul flight in the middle of the day (take off 10am) and a guy near us had an absolute nightmare.

The person in front of him dropped their seat back to full recline as soon as we got in the air.  It was one of the new boeing planes and in economy when the seat in front is reclined, it completely wipes out your leg room and puts your screen on a near horizontal angle about 5 inches from your face.  It seems like it's meant for overnight flights when everyone wants to sleep.

Despite repeated pleas from both the cabin crew and the poor guy who now had literally zero space.. the other passenger refused to even put it half way back up.  This might not sound like a big deal but the guy couldn't even eat his meal because there wasn't enough room for the tray table to go down. 

He had the patience of a saint, I don't think I'd have been able to deal with that for 11 hours.

Having been on dozens of long haul flights on all sorts of carriers and aircrafts, I have never once seen a situation as you describe.

Economy seats never recline very much, and unless one is really, really overweight, or really, really tall, there is no way to end up with zero legroom and the seat inches from one's face.

Which route was this on?

And to add to that list, the worst passengers are the parents who take their screaming baby up and down the aisle to make sure they wake everyone up instead of just the immediate neighbors. Drug your babies before flights, people, it's not going to kill them.

Baby died.  Now what?  I assume you’re gonna make me a new one?

It's quiet on the plane now.  You're trying to punish the guy for solving the problem?  :P

Making babies is now a punishment?

Is it supposed to be fun?

[Paul der Krake]

No baby making on the plane please.

[Hirondelle]

I thought I had lost my phone charger after a day at the beach as I couldn't find it in my bag. My other charger was at work, so I had to wait till I got to work to charge my phone (it happened on a weekend). 

Three days later I find the charger in my wallet. So I basically thought I lost my charger because I hadn't used my wallet in 3 days.

[Dicey]

My MPP is that once every couple of months my employer, as a perk, emails us some discounts and special deals that they have worked out with local merchants.  And they are never anything I can use. 

I have all the "stuff" I need; I wouldn't go to the XYZ fancy spa or the ABC jewelry store and use their 10% discount.  And I don't need services like lawn mowing or carpet cleaning. 

I wish for once they would get us a discount at a grocery store or Tractor Supply, something like that.  I'm going to suggest it -- we'll see.

This was me at a long-ago job. I spoke to the person who was tasked with making these arrangements. She said I was free to make my own deals on behalf of my co-workers and she would add them to the program, so I did. I can't remember the specifics, but it was something I wanted to buy anyway. She got some fresh ideas and i got my discount on [whatever] for the win.

[Just Joe]

PhilB: It may be US vehicles. I've driven roughly 20-25 manual vehicles in the US (owned 9 of them), and of those, the only one that would start without the clutch pedal fully depressed so that the clutch was disengaged was a backhoe. And it appeared to have been manufactured in the north of England.

Somewhere in the early 90s the gov't passed a rule in the USA that required the clutch pedal to be pressed in order for the starter motor to function. My late 80s manual transmissions did not require that and none of my 60s or 70s vehicle needed the clutch pushed to start the engine. 

A few more years and the kids will be asking what a clutch is. Similar confusion to references to Hee-Haw, Captain Kangaroo and rotary phones.

[Just Joe]

DH and I broke our bed last night, again. It is one of the places that holds the slatted base. DH repaired it before. Obviously when we lay together on the same half of the bed, we are too heavy for the tiny screws. Or the bed is just getting old. I think we bought it in '96 or '97.
I have now decided that I want to replace it as I don't like risking to break the bed.

DH is tall, so we need a 210 cm bed rather than the standard size 200 cm that Ikea sells. Maybe we can make something ourselves that can hold the base.

Check out the Ana-White website for free bed plans - or just make new side rails for your old bed.

[Rural]

PhilB: It may be US vehicles. I've driven roughly 20-25 manual vehicles in the US (owned 9 of them), and of those, the only one that would start without the clutch pedal fully depressed so that the clutch was disengaged was a backhoe. And it appeared to have been manufactured in the north of England.

Somewhere in the early 90s the gov't passed a rule in the USA that required the clutch pedal to be pressed in order for the starter motor to function. My late 80s manual transmissions did not require that and none of my 60s or 70s vehicle needed the clutch pushed to start the engine. 

A few more years and the kids will be asking what a clutch is. Similar confusion to references to Hee-Haw, Captain Kangaroo and rotary phones.

Interesting. My manual cars and trucks have ranged from the mid-'60s to a 2001. Clutch disengaged to start on all. Hm. Except maybe a '64 Ford Econoline van. I'm not sure that one had to have the clutch depressed. Can't remember.


A few more years and none of the kids will be able to drive in Europe, I guess. They already don't know what the "save" icon is supposed to be a picture of. :)

[Hula Hoop]

Yes, here in Europe, or at least Italy, it's pretty much all manual cars.  I just learnt to drive a manual and was taught clutch pedal depressed and car in neutral to start.

[Trifle]

My MPP is that once every couple of months my employer, as a perk, emails us some discounts and special deals that they have worked out with local merchants.  And they are never anything I can use. 

I have all the "stuff" I need; I wouldn't go to the XYZ fancy spa or the ABC jewelry store and use their 10% discount.  And I don't need services like lawn mowing or carpet cleaning. 

I wish for once they would get us a discount at a grocery store or Tractor Supply, something like that.  I'm going to suggest it -- we'll see.

This was me at a long-ago job. I spoke to the person who was tasked with making these arrangements. She said I was free to make my own deals on behalf of my co-workers and she would add them to the program, so I did. I can't remember the specifics, but it was something I wanted to buy anyway. She got some fresh ideas and i got my discount on [whatever] for the win.

Cool Dicey -- thanks.  I will keep that in mind for when I talk to them.  We do have a couple big purchases coming up for our house construction and it would be great to get a discount on those.   

[SwordGuy]

A few more years and the kids will be asking what a clutch is. Similar confusion to references to Hee-Haw, Captain Kangaroo and rotary phones.

A few more years and none of the kids will be able to drive in Europe, I guess. They already don't know what the "save" icon is supposed to be a picture of. :)

Saw a video of a US state department briefing in which the youngish spokesperson was discussing the strong bonds between the US and Germany.  Her example was "Tomorrow is the anniversary of the D-Day invasion."

Pretty awesome.

Not up there with the all time best of the US diplomat who had the Arabs and Israelis in a room, who started to bicker, and he suggested they sit down and discuss the matter like good Christians.

[techwiz]

They already don't know what the "save" icon is supposed to be a picture of. :)

I am sure that old floppy disk icon is in the process of being replaced with the "cloud" icon. 

The enterprising over marketing of the "cloud" is one of my pet peeve's. Just the other day I had to explain to someone that they don't have to worry about a plane running into their data!  ....and no we are not building large data centres floating up in the sky! (well not yet anyways)

[Paul der Krake]

I have considered getting a French driver license (they last a lifetime, no expiration) just to avoid the concerned looks at the rental counter in Europe when presenting a US license.

I was taught to remain in gear unless necessary, so that’s how I park and start a car too.

[elliha]

I have considered getting a French driver license (they last a lifetime, no expiration) just to avoid the concerned looks at the rental counter in Europe when presenting a US license.

I was taught to remain in gear unless necessary, so that’s how I park and start a car too.

My former colleague has a French license. The old ones were more or less just a piece of paper. When she started driving in Sweden the police thought she was trying to trick them when she pulled out her little paper booklet and told them it was a driver's license. Now I think they are plastic like in most countries but she told me how she with her at the time limited Swedish had to try to explain that she was not shitting them and this was her very real driver's license and she had not just put something together herself on the computer.

[Paul der Krake]

I have considered getting a French driver license (they last a lifetime, no expiration) just to avoid the concerned looks at the rental counter in Europe when presenting a US license.

I was taught to remain in gear unless necessary, so that’s how I park and start a car too.

My former colleague has a French license. The old ones were more or less just a piece of paper. When she started driving in Sweden the police thought she was trying to trick them when she pulled out her little paper booklet and told them it was a driver's license. Now I think they are plastic like in most countries but she told me how she with her at the time limited Swedish had to try to explain that she was not shitting them and this was her very real driver's license and she had not just put something together herself on the computer.

Argh you're right, the old lifetime paper ones have been phased out, but they remain valid. I should have gotten it before they rolled out the new plastic cards.

[Rural]

They already don't know what the "save" icon is supposed to be a picture of. :)

I am sure that old floppy disk icon is in the process of being replaced with the "cloud" icon. 

The enterprising over marketing of the "cloud" is one of my pet peeve's. Just the other day I had to explain to someone that they don't have to worry about a plane running into their data!  ....and no we are not building large data centres floating up in the sky! (well not yet anyways)

Oh, ffs. There's just no hope for humanity.

[LennStar]

They already don't know what the "save" icon is supposed to be a picture of. :)

I am sure that old floppy disk icon is in the process of being replaced with the "cloud" icon. 

The enterprising over marketing of the "cloud" is one of my pet peeve's. Just the other day I had to explain to someone that they don't have to worry about a plane running into their data!  ....and no we are not building large data centres floating up in the sky! (well not yet anyways)

I would be careful with that. We DO build them underwater nowadays.
http://money.cnn.com/2016/02/01/technology/microsoft-underwater-data-center/index.html

her little paper booklet and told them it was a driver's license. Now I think they are plastic

That certainly was/is the case in Germany.
My mother's is still the paper - it does not expire - while I got a plastic one.

@Cloud storage:

That is just a fancy way of saying All your data are belong to us!

[FIRERoad]

Anyone else thought they found their long lost tribe when they found this site or read the comments on this topic?

[dragoncar]

They already don't know what the "save" icon is supposed to be a picture of. :)

I am sure that old floppy disk icon is in the process of being replaced with the "cloud" icon. 

The enterprising over marketing of the "cloud" is one of my pet peeve's. Just the other day I had to explain to someone that they don't have to worry about a plane running into their data!  ....and no we are not building large data centres floating up in the sky! (well not yet anyways)

Oh, ffs. There's just no hope for humanity.

Not a plane, but watch out for flying backhoes!

[FIRERoad]

When something aggravating happens at work I have an irresistible urge to say "FU, I'm out here: I'm gonna retire".

I've had the thought of needing to get some sort of debt so that I do not actually do this right now.....

[shelivesthedream]

I had no idea Trump was visiting Britain until today. I had been making plans for a day trip on the day he arrived that would have walked me right into protests. We changed the date.

...but I still love my low-information diet.

[Slow&Steady]

They already don't know what the "save" icon is supposed to be a picture of. :)

I am sure that old floppy disk icon is in the process of being replaced with the "cloud" icon. 

The enterprising over marketing of the "cloud" is one of my pet peeve's. Just the other day I had to explain to someone that they don't have to worry about a plane running into their data!  ....and no we are not building large data centres floating up in the sky! (well not yet anyways)

Oh, ffs. There's just no hope for humanity.

Not a plane, but watch out for flying backhoes!

I find this hilarious but that is probably just because in the past I have made way too many calls to have lines marked and I have seen way to many workers marking lines.  I am pretty sure there is a good % of those line markers that are just guessing, my backhoe operators have agreed with me.

[Linea_Norway]

I had no idea Trump was visiting Britain until today. I had been making plans for a day trip on the day he arrived that would have walked me right into protests. We changed the date.

...but I still love my low-information diet.

There is usually so much fuss about American presidents visiting. My DH was once running across a street in Oslo to catch a train and he got a machine gun pointed on him by some military police person. Turned out that Bill Clinton was visiting and the police was nervous for running people. Not a nice experience when you live in a country where machine guns are usually not used.

[Freckles]

Not a nice experience for anyone!

[Chris22]

My car flashes an "oil change soon" light every time you start it up when it gets down to 15% oil life remaining.  You have to hit a button to avoid having to look at the orange message on the dash.  Given how much I drive, it will take 3-4 months to get to 0-5% remaining (when I will change the oil) so I have to clear the light every time I drive until then.  Ugh. 

[Zaga]

The pants from Goodwill that were labeled in DH's size weren't, and they don't take returns at all.  The inside label clearly said size 42, but they were really 36's.  There's a few bucks down the drain!  I redonated :-D

[Dragonswan]

If you redonate the pants can't you use the price of the pants as a charitable contribution and use for tax purposes?  I mean you have a receipt proving their worth to the charity.  By itself not worth it, but with other chartible donations might add up to enough to claim.

[Roadrunner53]

With the new tax system, if you take the standard deduction can you still deduct charitable donations?

[zolotiyeruki]

With the new tax system, if you take the standard deduction can you still deduct charitable donations?

The system is the same (it's either/or), it's just that the standard deduction option is much higher now than it was.  You either take the standard deduction, or itemize.

[Roadrunner53]

Never did the standard deduction before, always itemized but the new numbers for standard deduction may be better for us.

If you use the standard deduction, is there anything you can take off like property tax?

[Sibley]

Never did the standard deduction before, always itemized but the new numbers for standard deduction may be better for us.

If you use the standard deduction, is there anything you can take off like property tax?

No. Anything that you could have deducted as an itemized deduction is replaced by the standard deduction. It's either/or, not both.

[ixtap]

Never did the standard deduction before, always itemized but the new numbers for standard deduction may be better for us.

If you use the standard deduction, is there anything you can take off like property tax?

There are above the line deductions, but property tax is no longer a deduction.

I think the only one I ever used was student loan interest.

[Bracken_Joy]

Never did the standard deduction before, always itemized but the new numbers for standard deduction may be better for us.

If you use the standard deduction, is there anything you can take off like property tax?

Wikipedia's article on Above the Line deductions has a list: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Above-the-line_deduction#List_of_the_above-the-line_deductions Not that many beyond the obvious ones (pre-tax retirement accounts). I'm sure the IRS list is more reliable but I struggle navigating their site.

[zolotiyeruki]

Never did the standard deduction before, always itemized but the new numbers for standard deduction may be better for us.

If you use the standard deduction, is there anything you can take off like property tax?

There are above the line deductions, but property tax is no longer a deduction.

Property taxes *are* still a valid deduction, but 1) only if you don't take the standard deduction, and 2) you're now limited to a total of $10k of deductions from SALT (state and local taxes), including property taxes.

So at the end of last year, there were a lot of people pre-paying their property taxes in high-property-tax states, to maximize their deductions over two years--stack up the itemized deductions in 2017, take the standard in 2018.

[ixtap]

Never did the standard deduction before, always itemized but the new numbers for standard deduction may be better for us.

If you use the standard deduction, is there anything you can take off like property tax?

There are above the line deductions, but property tax is no longer a deduction.

Property taxes *are* still a valid deduction, but 1) only if you don't take the standard deduction, and 2) you're now limited to a total of $10k of deductions from SALT (state and local taxes), including property taxes.

So at the end of last year, there were a lot of people pre-paying their property taxes in high-property-tax states, to maximize their deductions over two years--stack up the itemized deductions in 2017, take the standard in 2018.

Yeah, I don't know what I was thinking when I wrote that.

[LennStar]

Never did the standard deduction before, always itemized but the new numbers for standard deduction may be better for us.

If you use the standard deduction, is there anything you can take off like property tax?

There are above the line deductions, but property tax is no longer a deduction.

Property taxes *are* still a valid deduction, but 1) only if you don't take the standard deduction, and 2) you're now limited to a total of $10k of deductions from SALT (state and local taxes), including property taxes.

So at the end of last year, there were a lot of people pre-paying their property taxes in high-property-tax states, to maximize their deductions over two years--stack up the itemized deductions in 2017, take the standard in 2018.

Wait a second.

You can deduct direct taxes like property tax from your tax payment?

Means if you are poor and not paying property taxes, you pay more taxes.
 
And there are still people saying the system isn't rigged towards the rich!

[FIRE@50]

Never did the standard deduction before, always itemized but the new numbers for standard deduction may be better for us.

If you use the standard deduction, is there anything you can take off like property tax?

There are above the line deductions, but property tax is no longer a deduction.

Property taxes *are* still a valid deduction, but 1) only if you don't take the standard deduction, and 2) you're now limited to a total of $10k of deductions from SALT (state and local taxes), including property taxes.

So at the end of last year, there were a lot of people pre-paying their property taxes in high-property-tax states, to maximize their deductions over two years--stack up the itemized deductions in 2017, take the standard in 2018.

Wait a second.

You can deduct direct taxes like property tax from your tax payment?

Means if you are poor and not paying property taxes, you pay more taxes.
 
And there are still people saying the system isn't rigged towards the rich!

Yes & No

No, if you are poor, you pay almost no taxes.

Yes, the system is still rigged.

[Dragonswan]

To be more precise: Direct taxes are deducted from the income.  The resulting adjusted income is then taxed.  This normally results in a lower tax payment.  The system is rigged but given that it is graduated upward with income it begs the questions against whom is it rigged?  The poor, the middle or the rich?

[FIRE@50]

To be more precise: Direct taxes are deducted from the income.  The resulting adjusted income is then taxed.  This normally results in a lower tax payment.  The system is rigged but given that it is graduated upward with income it begs the questions against whom is it rigged?  The poor, the middle or the rich?

It would be interesting to see which income levels are paying the highest effective tax rate. I would guess that upper middle class is getting squeezed the most. My thought being that they are paying high income taxes while the rich are more likely to gain from the concept of capital gains taxes. The lack of payroll taxes above ~120k is also huge.

[dragoncar]

Never did the standard deduction before, always itemized but the new numbers for standard deduction may be better for us.

If you use the standard deduction, is there anything you can take off like property tax?

There are above the line deductions, but property tax is no longer a deduction.

Property taxes *are* still a valid deduction, but 1) only if you don't take the standard deduction, and 2) you're now limited to a total of $10k of deductions from SALT (state and local taxes), including property taxes.

So at the end of last year, there were a lot of people pre-paying their property taxes in high-property-tax states, to maximize their deductions over two years--stack up the itemized deductions in 2017, take the standard in 2018.

Wait a second.

You can deduct direct taxes like property tax from your tax payment?

Means if you are poor and not paying property taxes, you pay more taxes.
 
And there are still people saying the system isn't rigged towards the rich!

Wut?  I’m not sure where the idea came from that a tax deduction saves you money overall.   Even after deducting property tax, you still pay more total tax than you would have if you paid no property tax in the first place

This line of thinking leads to antimustachians leasing business SUVs “for the tax deduction”

[Dragonswan]

To be more precise: Direct taxes are deducted from the income.  The resulting adjusted income is then taxed.  This normally results in a lower tax payment.  The system is rigged but given that it is graduated upward with income it begs the questions against whom is it rigged?  The poor, the middle or the rich?

It would be interesting to see which income levels are paying the highest effective tax rate. I would guess that upper middle class is getting squeezed the most. My thought being that they are paying high income taxes while the rich are more likely to gain from the concept of capital gains taxes. The lack of payroll taxes above ~120k is also huge.

Exactly.

[Goldielocks]

Okay -- I am blanking -- how does the lack of payroll taxes over $120k become "huge" for the employee.  For the employer, well, yes, but are you pointing out that you have maxed out your SS and other employee payments?

Hmm.. I guess I am spoiled.  Ours max out at around $55k  (annual payment of $3500/yr or 6.6%) or so it does not seem like a "huge" benefit personally... ...  on the other hand, the payments back to you from them are a lot less than the USA, too.   (Parental leave excepted, of course)

[zolotiyeruki]

Property taxes *are* still a valid deduction, but 1) only if you don't take the standard deduction, and 2) you're now limited to a total of $10k of deductions from SALT (state and local taxes), including property taxes.

So at the end of last year, there were a lot of people pre-paying their property taxes in high-property-tax states, to maximize their deductions over two years--stack up the itemized deductions in 2017, take the standard in 2018.

Wait a second.

You can deduct direct taxes like property tax from your tax payment?

Dragonswan's explanation is correct.  Deductions, whether itemized or standard, are subtracted from your income, and then your tax is calculated on what's left.  So if I earned $60,000 and paid $3,000 in property tax and 3,000 in state income tax, my federal income tax is levied on the $54,000 that's left.  (yes, this is an oversimplified example, but works for the point we're discussing)

To be more precise: Direct taxes are deducted from the income.  The resulting adjusted income is then taxed.  This normally results in a lower tax payment.  The system is rigged but given that it is graduated upward with income it begs the questions against whom is it rigged?  The poor, the middle or the rich?

It would be interesting to see which income levels are paying the highest effective tax rate. I would guess that upper middle class is getting squeezed the most. My thought being that they are paying high income taxes while the rich are more likely to gain from the concept of capital gains taxes. The lack of payroll taxes above ~120k is also huge.

That's a very well-documented topic.  The short answer is that the top 1% get 19% of the income and pay 38% of the federal income tax, the top 10% get 46% and pay 70%, and so on.  There's a great chart near the top of that article that lays it all out--the cutoffs between the 1%, 10%, 25%, and 50%, the effective tax rates for each group, etc.  However, it does *not* include FICA as far as I can tell.

[LeRainDrop]

However, it does *not* include FICA as far as I can tell.

Who's FICA?  Why's he getting all my money?

[dragoncar]

However, it does *not* include FICA as far as I can tell.

Who's FICA?  Why's he getting all my money?

It’s really a moo point

[BTDretire]

Not a plane, but watch out for flying backhoes!

I find this hilarious but that is probably just because in the past I have made way too many calls to have lines marked and I have seen way to many workers marking lines.  I am pretty sure there is a good % of those line markers that are just guessing, my backhoe operators have agreed with me.

I was installing an additional sprinkler head in our yard and called to have any lines marked.
They came out and marked electric lines and cable lines. While digging my trench I hit two TV/internet
cables and cut part way through them. I called to report it, the company wasn't interested they had
no report of problems, so it was ignored. I marked the spot thinking they will be out to fix it.
 It was a year later that I see a new orange cable running from the box in my yard over to the neighbors house.
 It took me a couple of months of carefully mowing around the cable before I buried about 6 ft that goes
from the box to my neighbors driveway. Two years later the orange cable still lays in their driveway going to the house, never got buried.

[LennStar]

To be more precise: Direct taxes are deducted from the income.  The resulting adjusted income is then taxed.  This normally results in a lower tax payment.  The system is rigged but given that it is graduated upward with income it begs the questions against whom is it rigged?  The poor, the middle or the rich?

It would be interesting to see which income levels are paying the highest effective tax rate. I would guess that upper middle class is getting squeezed the most. My thought being that they are paying high income taxes while the rich are more likely to gain from the concept of capital gains taxes. The lack of payroll taxes above ~120k is also huge.

Basically thats it. (may differ slightly per country)

The poor pay the highest taxes compared to their income if you include all that stuff that is in the price of the necessary basic living expenses (sales tax for example) - or in other words, they pay the most taxes of income-% for just living.

The middle middle class pays the most percentage in regards to working income.

The higher middle class already pays less % because they have a greater capital gains percantage of their income, but already good tax evasion advisors.

And the richest pay the lowest % of their income as taxes.

It is as Warren Buffet likes to say: He pays less taxes (%) then his secretary.

And that is not even touching the topic of inheritances. 

[Slow&Steady]

That's a very well-documented topic.  The short answer is that the top 1% get 19% of the income and pay 38% of the federal income tax, the top 10% get 46% and pay 70%, and so on.  There's a great chart near the top of that article that lays it all out--the cutoffs between the 1%, 10%, 25%, and 50%, the effective tax rates for each group, etc.  However, it does *not* include FICA as far as I can tell.

Bold part adds up to 108%, I think those numbers might be off.

[MoseyingAlong]

That's a very well-documented topic.  The short answer is that the top 1% get 19% of the income and pay 38% of the federal income tax, the top 10% get 46% and pay 70%, and so on.  There's a great chart near the top of that article that lays it all out--the cutoffs between the 1%, 10%, 25%, and 50%, the effective tax rates for each group, etc.  However, it does *not* include FICA as far as I can tell.

Bold part adds up to 108%, I think those numbers might be off.

Not if you include the top 1% in the top 10%.

[Slow&Steady]

That's a very well-documented topic.  The short answer is that the top 1% get 19% of the income and pay 38% of the federal income tax, the top 10% get 46% and pay 70%, and so on.  There's a great chart near the top of that article that lays it all out--the cutoffs between the 1%, 10%, 25%, and 50%, the effective tax rates for each group, etc.  However, it does *not* include FICA as far as I can tell.

Bold part adds up to 108%, I think those numbers might be off.

Not if you include the top 1% in the top 10%.

Aha, good point!

[zolotiyeruki]

To be more precise: Direct taxes are deducted from the income.  The resulting adjusted income is then taxed.  This normally results in a lower tax payment.  The system is rigged but given that it is graduated upward with income it begs the questions against whom is it rigged?  The poor, the middle or the rich?

It would be interesting to see which income levels are paying the highest effective tax rate. I would guess that upper middle class is getting squeezed the most. My thought being that they are paying high income taxes while the rich are more likely to gain from the concept of capital gains taxes. The lack of payroll taxes above ~120k is also huge.

The poor pay the highest taxes compared to their income if you include all that stuff that is in the price of the necessary basic living expenses (sales tax for example) - or in other words, they pay the most taxes of income-% for just living.

The middle middle class pays the most percentage in regards to working income.

The higher middle class already pays less % because they have a greater capital gains percantage of their income, but already good tax evasion advisors.

And the richest pay the lowest % of their income as taxes.

It is as Warren Buffet likes to say: He pays less taxes (%) then his secretary.

And that is not even touching the topic of inheritances.

I'd like to see some test cases run with specific numbers to support the claim that the lowest-income folks pay the highest taxes compared to income.  In addition, it's not even as simple as including taxation on all levels--if we're concerned about "fairness," we must also take into account all the other government programs in place to help the poor.