Progressive Taxation

Rich Americans Pay a Higher Share of Taxes Than the Wealthy in Most Countries

What’s a “fair share” of funding for a government that many Americans distrust?

J.D. Tuccille | 6.22.2026 7:00 AM

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Like his progressive comrades, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has an ambitious big-government agenda he proposes to fund by forcing "rich" people to pay their "fair share." While the word billionaires is often thrown around, smart people understand that wealth will have to be defined generously to pay for everything proposed, and that "fair share" always means more. Even so, lots of Americans are on board with the idea of forcing people they consider rich to pay higher taxes. What they don't understand, and what progressives won't acknowledge, is that the U.S. already puts a heavier burden on high-income people than do most countries.

You are reading The Rattler from J.D. Tuccille and Reason. Get more of J.D.'s commentary on government overreach and threats to everyday liberty.

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'We Can Raise Taxes on the Wealthy'

It's easy to find a politician calling for higher taxes on rich people. In the words of Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D–Mass.), "we can afford to ignore the billionaire tears. We can raise taxes on the wealthy, and we can invest that money in lowering costs for everyday families."

Lots of Americans buy what Warren is selling. According to April 2026 polling from Pew Research, "roughly six-in-ten adults now say the feeling that some wealthy people (61%) and corporations (60%) don't pay their fair share bothers them a lot."

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