Slowly but surely, inch by inch, we approach Democrat Tax Nirvana, where the great bulk of income tax revenues are paid by only a tiny minority of less than 10 percent of citizens with taxable income, while the vast majority of voters, because they pay little or no income taxes therefore have a vested interest in maintaining their happy state by voting for continuing Tax the Rich policies. Thus, there is will be no driving political motivation to reduce marginal income tax rates, but strong vote-getting appeal in imposing near confiscatory tax rates on the “rich,” members of that unworthy demographic that according to Al Gore “got lucky in life’s lottery.”
You will not even hear Republicans refer to the "payroll tax" in the same breath as income taxes. That is the killer of the low income. They all pay it. Over 13%.
Those on the bottom rung are happy enough only to look at "take home pay", never the tax withheld. They may think they are paying no income tax, but everyone of them is hit for payroll tax on everything they earn.
Social Security and Medicare Taxes are income taxes no matter what euphemism they are called. There are no deductions, no credits, no nothing on payroll taxes.
yitbos