Tax Collection Statistics
Summary of Collections before Refunds by Type of Return, Fiscal Year 2010
| Type of Return | Number of Returns | Gross Collections |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Income Tax | 141,166,805 | 1,163,688 |
| Employment Taxes | 29,787,494 | 824,188 |
| Corporate Income Tax | 2,355,803 | 277,937 |
| Excise Taxes | 836,793 | 47,190 |
| Estate Tax | 28,780 | 16,931 |
| Gift Tax | 286,522 | 47,190 |
| Total | 174,405,682 | 2,332,754 |
Summary of Collections before Refunds by Type of Return, Fiscal Year 2007
| Type of Return | Number of Returns | Gross Collections |
|---|---|---|
| Individual Income Tax | 138,893,908 | 1,366,241 |
| Employment Taxes | 30,740,592 | 849,733 |
| Corporate Income Tax | 2,507,728 | 395,536 |
| Excise Taxes | 989,165 | 53,050 |
| Estate Tax | 55,924 | 24,558 |
| Gift Tax | 286,522 | 2,420 |
| Total | 173,351,839 | 2,691,538 |
For fiscal year 2009, the U.S. Congress appropriated spending of approximately $12.624 billion of "discretionary budget authority" to operate the Department of the Treasury, of which $11.522 billion was allocated to the IRS. The projected estimate of the budget for the IRS for fiscal year 2011 was $12.633 billion. By contrast, during Fiscal Year (FY) 2006, the IRS collected more than $2.2 trillion in tax (net of refunds), about 44 percent of which was attributable to the individual income tax. This is partially due to the nature of the individual income tax category, containing taxes collected from working class, small business, self-employed, and capital gains. The top 5% of income earners pay 38.284% of the federal tax collected.
Recently, the IRS has altered its policies. The current Service plus Enforcement equals Compliance motto mirrors its recent increase in investigations of abusive tax schemes.
As of 2007, the agency estimates that the United States Treasury is owed $354 billion more than the amount the IRS collects.
In 2011, 234 million tax returns were filed allowing the IRS to collect $2.4 trillion out of which $384 billion were attributed to mistake or fraud.
Read more about this topic: Internal Revenue Service
Famous quotes containing the words tax, collection and/or statistics:
“Parents are used to being made to feel guilty about...their contribution to the population problem, the school tax burden, and declining test scores. They expect to be blamed by teachers and psychologists, if not by police. And they will be blamed by the children themselves. It is hardy a wonder, then, that they withdraw into what used to be called “permissiveness” but is really neglect.”
—C. John Sommerville (20th century)
“The Nature of Familiar Letters, written, as it were, to the Moment, while the Heart is agitated by Hopes and Fears, on Events undecided, must plead an Excuse for the Bulk of a Collection of this Kind. Mere Facts and Characters might be comprised in a much smaller Compass: But, would they be equally interesting?”
—Samuel Richardson (1689–1761)
“He uses statistics as a drunken man uses lamp-posts—for support rather than illumination.”
—Andrew Lang (1844–1912)