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Misleading statistics

GREG STARR

Williamsport

Several syndicated columnists and a recent letter to the editor regularly mention a statistic published by the Non-Partisan Tax Policy Center stating that 47 percent of Americans pay no income tax. It was initially made famous by Mitt Romney when he ran for president back in 2012.

As with most political statements it was misleading if not completely untrue. Actually, two-thirds of the households that did not pay federal income taxes did pay payroll taxes such as social security, unemployment compensation, etc. along with state and local taxes.

Half of the rest were elderly that receive social security benefits. So to say 47 percent of our citizens pay no income tax is deceptive.

In addition, a letter quoted a General Electric spokesperson disputing the report that they paid no federal income taxes during several calendar years including 2010 and actually paid $32.9 billion in taxes worldwide.

They do not state how much is paid to the U.S. treasury; still another G.E. official, Gary Sheffer, claimed that his company had a “small U.S. income tax liability for 2010.”

As a former state auditor myself, little value is placed on the claims of organization officials particularly when they seem to contradict until a full review is completed.

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