if a rich person got caught owing tens of thousands in back taxes and penalties. they could just sell a home or car and pay the tax bill, or hire a consultant to fight or delay it or otherwise pull strings to get it to dissappear.

Or hire a team of tax lawyers and duke it out for years.  Or better yet, buy a couple of politicians to run interference for them.

I'm not top 1%, but I'm definitely on the richer end.

what's going on in north dakota?

there was an oil boom with the whole fracking thing.  that's probably already dropped quite a bit.

Hey, everyone should post their tax returns for the past few years, wouldn't that be a hoot? My income has swung dramatically going from a salaried employee to unemployed to part time to self employed with some years making good amounts. My yearly income now fluctuates in an amount greater than my yearly salary  as an employee just a few years ago. It would be fun to graph income, taxes, benefits, deductions all on one and compare, to see the data.

I think we should all publish our high school transcripts instead. 

Land yearbook pictures. 

How the hell is OP a small business owner who doesn't understand how taxes work? 

If you make $50,000 in taxable income, then $7,550 is taxed at 10%, $23,100 is taxed at 15%, and the rest, $19,350, is taxed at 25%

If you make 150k a year, it's not all taxed at 25%. If anything, my single unwed self is getting screwed over more than you... i'm taxed at the same bracket. 

Is there still a marriage penalty?

I only know my tax preparer had a line towards the bottom with our effective tax rate, around 15%

Speaking of "oil booms", that has made me plently of money doing business in Architecture.

I only know my tax preparer had a line towards the bottom with our effective tax rate, around 15%

You need a better preparer. Mitt Romney paid 11% on $250m.

I would like to take this opportunity to be as professional and civil as possible, and tell WDW to fuck the fuck off, you whiny, entitled, asshole.

You've chosen to have kids. You've chosen to be self-employed. You've chosen to be a two-income household. YOU'RE SAVING $25k A YEAR FOR RETIREMENT.  

Get a grip. You're wealthy by any standard, certainly in the top 2 or 3%. There's just so much wrong with your complaints that I don't even know where to start.

retirement is for pussies.

Like I said before, money makes people stupid.

hold on, i am smart miles. instead of buying healthy food i go cheap at wally world and buy cancer filled food so i can save and hsve retirement money to pay my docs for the copays on me cancer treatment....schmucks