47% does not pay a penny for tax That's not actually true. The (mostly) correct version is that 40-some percent of the adult US population does not pay federa

47% does not pay a penny for tax That's not actually true. The (mostly) correct version is that 40-some percent of the adult US population does not pay federal income tax. The number of "working age Americans" who actually pay no net federal taxes is actually less than 5%: http://zfacts.com/47-percent http://zfacts.com/47-percent When you factor in state taxes the number drops even farther. Include sales taxes, and it's probably zero. Saying that "almost half don't pay federal income tax" is still striking, but should be kept in context.