By the Numbers: Taxing questions

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Survey reveals some Americans think they pay more in taxes than the wealthy

Illustration by Krieg Barrie

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39%

The share of Americans who believe that billionaire Amazon founder Jeff Bezos will pay, over his lifetime, either the same amount or less in taxes than the average American, according to a survey that pollster Scott Rasmussen conducted this year. With tax season looming, the poll results reveal many Americans have misconceptions about the U.S. tax system.

$973 million

The amount of taxes Bezos paid between 2014 and 2018, according to a ProPublica report.

$16,615

The average federal income tax bill among the 164 million Americans who filed taxes in 2020, according to IRS data, though the median amount would be much lower.

$610 million

The projected amount Bezos will save in state taxes after moving to Miami and away from Washington state’s 7 percent capital gains tax. Bezos plans to offload 50 million Amazon shares by 2025.

Politics