The Record

Tax

Brick is the top statutory individual rate — the talking point. Steel is what was actually remitted: IRS total income tax divided by AGI. Same units: percent. The cards pie who paid income tax versus who filed and owed none. Effective is through tax year 2023.

Top rate

statutory ordinary income

37.0%

regular tax, not NIIT

Paid

SOI 2023

14.1%

22.9% below the top

Who paid

of returns filed

69.5%

30.5% owed none

At this year

Donald Trump

2026*

Trump 2 · paid 14.1%

Top ratePaid
010%20%30%40%89939701050913172125

By administration

George H. W. Bush

Bush 41

1989–1992

13.6%

Paid tax
78.1%
No income tax
21.9%
Bill Clinton

Clinton

1993–2000

14.8%

Paid tax
75.3%
No income tax
24.7%
George W. Bush

Bush 43

2001–2008

12.8%

Paid tax
67.9%
No income tax
32.1%
Barack Obama

Obama

2009–2016

13.1%

Paid tax
63.3%
No income tax
36.7%
Donald Trump

Trump 1

2017–2020

13.6%

Paid tax
65.4%
No income tax
34.6%
Joe Biden

Biden

2021–2024

14.4%

Paid tax
67.7%
No income tax
32.3%
Donald Trump

Trump 2

2025–2026

14.1%

Paid tax
69.5%
No income tax
30.5%

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Notes

Payroll tax (FICA) is not income tax. 2024–2026 still use the 2023 SOI print — the complete report lags two years.

  • Top statutory rate. Highest ordinary-income bracket, regular tax. Not the 3.8% net investment income tax. 28% (1988–90), 31% (1991–92), 39.6% (1993–2000), EGTRRA 39.1%/38.6% (2001–02), 35% (2003–12), 39.6% (2013–17), 37% (2018–26).
  • Effective rate 1989–1998. IRS SOI long-run compilation (1913–2005): total tax liability ÷ total income. Slightly different denominator than AGI.
  • Effective rate 1999–2023. IRS SOI total income tax ÷ adjusted gross income. 1999–2016 Historical Table 1. 2017–2023 Publication 1304 Table 1.2, all returns. 2023 is 14.05%.
  • Who paid. Share of individual returns with total income tax greater than zero. 1989–1998 IRS / Tax Foundation filer series (matches Historical Table 1 on overlap). 1999–2016 Historical Table 1. 2017–2023 Table 1.2. Non-filers are not in the pie. Payroll tax (FICA) is not income tax. 2024–2026 still use the 2023 print.
  • 2024–2026. Top rate is official. Effective rate and the payer pie are still the 2023 SOI print — the complete report lags two years. This is not FICA, corporate tax, or state income tax.

Source: IRS SOI total income tax ÷ AGI · statutory top bracket · effective through tax year 2023