The top 1% of earners pay 40% of income taxes. Why do we keep hearing this? How much of the income was theirs? If they earned 40% of the income they should be paying a tad more than 40% of the income taxes. Income is not a zero sum game, so high earners are not stealing from anyone. I’d take a flat income tax for all if it allowed for the costs of income tax collection and enforment went away.