Summary of the latest federal income tax data
For tax year 2023, the top 1% of returns by adjusted gross income earned 20.6% of all AGI and paid 38.4% of all federal income tax. The top 50% paid 96.7%. The bottom 50% earned 12.3% of AGI and paid 3.3%.
- Top 1%: 20.6% of AGI, 38.4% of income tax, 26.3% average rate. You needed AGI of at least $675,602 to be in the top 1%.
- Top 10%: 70.5% of income tax (AGI floor $187,608). Top 50%: 96.7% (AGI floor $53,801).
- Bottom 50%: 3.3% of income tax on 12.3% of AGI, an average rate of 3.7%.
- Average federal income tax rate across all 153,076,443 returns: 14.1% (it was 14.5% for 2022).
Last verified October 22, 2026 against IRS Publication 1304 (March 2026), tax year 2023, the newest year in the IRS file. The IRS calls all figures “estimates based on samples.”
Share of income and income tax by percentile, tax year 2023
Groups are cumulative: “Top 10%” includes the top 1%. Returns exclude dependents. Click a column to sort.
| Group (by AGI, descending) | Returns in group | AGI floor (minimum AGI to be in the group) | Share of all AGI | Share of all income tax | Average tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 0.001% | 1,531 | $78,617,933 | 2.09% | 3.49% | 23.61% |
| Top 0.01% | 15,308 | $16,086,174 | 4.74% | 8.47% | 25.24% |
| Top 0.1% | 153,076 | $3,100,950 | 10.06% | 19.00% | 26.65% |
| Top 1% | 1,530,764 | $675,602 | 20.63% | 38.40% | 26.27% |
| Top 2% | 3,061,529 | $453,137 | 26.10% | 46.64% | 25.21% |
| Top 3% | 4,592,293 | $361,737 | 30.15% | 51.91% | 24.29% |
| Top 4% | 6,123,058 | $307,631 | 33.51% | 55.98% | 23.57% |
| Top 5% | 7,653,822 | $272,209 | 36.42% | 59.30% | 22.97% |
| Top 10% | 15,307,644 | $187,608 | 47.60% | 70.54% | 20.91% |
| Top 20% | 30,615,289 | $123,406 | 62.77% | 82.59% | 18.57% |
| Top 25% | 38,269,111 | $105,604 | 68.52% | 86.31% | 17.77% |
| Top 30% | 45,922,933 | $91,224 | 73.47% | 89.37% | 17.17% |
| Top 40% | 61,230,577 | $69,564 | 81.50% | 93.93% | 16.26% |
| Top 50% | 76,538,222 | $53,801 | 87.67% | 96.74% | 15.57% |
| All returns | 153,076,443 | n/a | 100.00% | 100.00% | 14.11% |
The same data as separate bands, tax year 2023
The IRS table is cumulative. Subtracting one column from the next gives non-overlapping bands that add to 100%. This table is computed from the IRS columns; the IRS does not publish it in this form.
| Income band | Share of all AGI | Share of all income tax | Average tax rate | AGI | Income tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Top 1% | 20.63% | 38.40% | 26.27% | $3,135 billion | $823 billion |
| Next 4% (95th to 99th percentile) | 15.79% | 20.90% | 18.67% | $2,400 billion | $448 billion |
| Next 5% (90th to 95th) | 11.18% | 11.25% | 14.19% | $1,699 billion | $241 billion |
| Next 15% (75th to 90th) | 20.92% | 15.77% | 10.63% | $3,179 billion | $338 billion |
| Next 25% (50th to 75th) | 19.15% | 10.43% | 7.69% | $2,911 billion | $224 billion |
| Bottom 50% | 12.32% | 3.26% | 3.73% | $1,873 billion | $70 billion |
Top 1%, top 10% and top 50% since 2001
| Tax year | Top 1%: AGI share | Top 1%: tax share | Top 1%: avg rate | Top 10%: AGI share | Top 10%: tax share | Top 10%: avg rate | Top 50%: AGI share | Top 50%: tax share | Top 50%: avg rate | All returns: avg rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 20.63% | 38.40% | 26.27% | 47.60% | 70.54% | 20.91% | 87.67% | 96.74% | 15.57% | 14.11% |
| 2022 | 22.44% | 40.43% | 26.09% | 49.36% | 71.97% | 21.11% | 88.54% | 97.04% | 15.87% | 14.48% |
| 2021 | 26.30% | 45.78% | 25.93% | 52.61% | 75.81% | 21.47% | 89.60% | 97.66% | 16.24% | 14.90% |
| 2020 | 22.19% | 42.31% | 25.99% | 49.45% | 73.67% | 20.30% | 89.82% | 97.68% | 14.82% | 13.63% |
| 2019 | 20.14% | 38.77% | 25.57% | 47.30% | 70.81% | 19.89% | 88.51% | 96.94% | 14.55% | 13.29% |
| 2018 | 20.93% | 40.08% | 25.44% | 47.66% | 71.37% | 19.89% | 88.39% | 97.06% | 14.59% | 13.28% |
| 2017 | 21.04% | 38.47% | 26.76% | 47.74% | 70.08% | 21.49% | 88.75% | 96.89% | 15.99% | 14.64% |
| 2016 | 19.72% | 37.32% | 26.87% | 46.56% | 69.47% | 21.19% | 88.41% | 96.96% | 15.57% | 14.20% |
| 2015 | 20.65% | 39.04% | 27.10% | 47.36% | 70.59% | 21.37% | 88.72% | 97.17% | 15.71% | 14.34% |
| 2014 | 20.58% | 39.48% | 27.16% | 47.21% | 70.88% | 21.25% | 88.73% | 97.25% | 15.52% | 14.16% |
| 2013 | 19.04% | 37.80% | 27.08% | 45.87% | 69.80% | 20.75% | 88.51% | 97.22% | 14.98% | 13.64% |
| 2012 | 21.86% | 38.09% | 22.83% | 47.87% | 70.17% | 19.21% | 88.90% | 97.22% | 14.33% | 13.11% |
| 2011 | 18.70% | 35.06% | 23.50% | 45.39% | 68.26% | 18.85% | 88.45% | 97.11% | 13.76% | 12.54% |
| 2010 | 18.87% | 37.38% | 23.39% | 45.17% | 70.62% | 18.46% | 88.26% | 97.64% | 13.06% | 11.81% |
| 2009 | 17.21% | 36.34% | 24.05% | 43.77% | 69.89% | 18.19% | 88.12% | 97.54% | 12.61% | 11.39% |
| 2008 | 20.19% | 37.51% | 23.29% | 45.98% | 69.20% | 18.87% | 88.08% | 96.90% | 13.79% | 12.54% |
| 2007 | 22.86% | 39.81% | 22.46% | 47.88% | 70.41% | 18.96% | 87.81% | 96.64% | 14.19% | 12.90% |
| 2006 | 22.10% | 39.36% | 22.80% | 47.17% | 70.08% | 19.02% | 87.58% | 96.59% | 14.12% | 12.80% |
| 2005 | 21.19% | 38.77% | 23.15% | 46.17% | 69.46% | 19.03% | 87.06% | 96.41% | 14.01% | 12.65% |
| 2004 | 18.99% | 36.28% | 23.52% | 44.07% | 67.30% | 18.80% | 86.51% | 96.13% | 13.68% | 12.31% |
| 2003 | 16.73% | 33.69% | 24.38% | 42.01% | 64.89% | 18.70% | 85.87% | 95.93% | 13.53% | 12.11% |
| 2002 | 16.05% | 33.09% | 27.37% | 41.33% | 64.63% | 20.76% | 85.50% | 95.79% | 14.87% | 13.28% |
| 2001 | 17.41% | 33.22% | 27.60% | 42.50% | 63.68% | 21.68% | 85.60% | 95.10% | 16.08% | 14.47% |
Definitions the IRS uses
- Percentile groups rank returns by adjusted gross income (AGI), using each year's definition of AGI, with dependents' returns excluded.
- AGI floor is the lowest AGI that places a return inside the group.
- Total income tax is income tax after credits (floored at zero) plus net investment income tax and the tax on accumulation distributions of trusts. It leaves out the refundable parts of credits. It is not payroll tax, and it is not state tax.
- Average tax rate is total income tax divided by AGI.
- Returns filed only to receive the economic stimulus payment are not counted (IRS note [4]).
Method
Every figure comes from the IRS workbook 23in41ts.xlsx, read on October 22, 2026. In code, each share was recomputed from the dollar columns (group AGI or tax divided by the total) and each average rate from tax divided by AGI; all matched the IRS values to within 0.01 percentage point for 2022 and 2023. The bottom 50% and the bands are our subtraction, labeled as computed.
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Primary sources
- IRS SOI Table 4.1, tax years 2001-2023 (23in41ts.xlsx), from Publication 1304, March 2026 — all figures in this page's tables
- IRS SOI: Individual statistical tables by tax rate and income percentile — landing page for the table
- IRS SOI Publication 1304: Individual Income Tax Returns Complete Report
Download percentile CSV (2001-2023) Download band CSV (2023)
General education about published government statistics, not tax or legal advice for your situation. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the IRS. Percentile shares describe federal income tax only and do not reflect payroll, state, sales or property taxes.
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