The Rich Still Pay Less

Continuing a shift that goes back more than a decade, the richest Minnesotans continue to pay less than their share in state and local taxes, according to the newest Tax Incidence Study from the Minnesota Department of Revenue.

The richest Minnesotans – who make half a million dollars and up – pay only 9.7 percent of their income in state and local taxes, the study says. The bottom 90 percent – households that earn less than $129,000 a year – pay 25 percent more, an average of 12.3 percent.

To look at the imbalance another way:

• The richest 1 percent make 16.2 percent of the income. They pay only 13.7 percent of state and local taxes.
• The richest 2 percent make 21.3 percent of the income. They pay only 18.1 percent of state and local taxes.
• The richest 5 percent make 31.2 percent of the income but pay only 27.1 percent of taxes.