Adding to @mempko's comment, in the most recent tax filing season data available, there were tax returns of: Top 1%

Adding to @mempko's comment, in the most recent tax filing season data available, there were tax returns of: Top 1% Top 5% Top 10% Top 25% Top 50% Bottom 50% All Taxpayers Number of Returns 1,535,899 7,679,495 15,358,991 38,397,477 76,794,954 76,794,954 153,589,908 Average Income Taxes Paid $653,730 $187,468 $108,251 $50,963 $27,891 $667 $14,279 Adjusted Gross Income (Millions) $3,872,395 $6,182,180 $7,745,525 $10,613,602 $13,191,209 $1,531,038 $14,722,247 If we then break those into the actual groups, and numbers per group, then we find their Average Per Capita Income 1 2-5 6-10 11-25 26-50 51-100 Number of Returns 1,535,899 6,143,596 7,679,496 23,038,486 38,397,477 76,794,954 Income Taxes Paid (Millions) $1,004,063 $435,594 $222,966 $294,234 $185,068 $51,225 Adjusted Gross Income (Millions) $3,872,395 $2,309,785 $1,563,345 $2,868,077 $2,577,607 $1,531,038 Average Tax Rate 25.9% 18.9% 14.3% 10.3% 7.2% 3.3% Average Per Capita Income $2,521,256.28 $375,966.29 $203,573.91 $124,490.69 $67,129.59 $19,936.70 There are 76,794,954 making $19,936 on average. The filing thresholds are "single, under 65 = $12,950" and "head of household, under 65 = $19,400". Many of the bottom 50% of America would "barely" even qualify to file.