Obviously a no brainer for you. You don not pay one flat percentage on your income - It's a GRADUATED TAX ! Try checking you little IRS book and look at the tax tables.And what exactly do you think that would tell me? If I divide what I paid by what I made I get my effective tax rate. Do you think I should be looking at my marginal rate for some indication of how much I paid?
What you made or your gross TAXABLE income ? You never know your final "effective tax rate" until you do your return. Do you know right now what your "effective tax rate" will be for year-end 2004 ? No way.