What am I missing? Please explain this data to me.

[sinkingfeeling]

http://www.usdebtclock.org/

Under 'US Work Force' there are 138,672,895 and yet there are only 108,581,587 listed as 'US Txpayers'. How can there be 30 million working people who aren't paying taxes?

[tblue]

1. Under the table? Military? I'm guessing here.

[sinkingfeeling]

3. People in the military have to pay income tax.

[tblue]

4. Wasn't sure. Thanks.

[On the Road]

2. If Your Income is Low Enough,

your taxes are zero. Perhaps that's it.

Or alternatively, there are a lot of people who work under the table. Doubt those are being counted, but who knows?

It's necessary to understand how the numbers were developed. They may come from different sources and not be compatible.

[tblue]

5. Also, a LOT of offshore bank accounts.

[notadmblnd]

6. some people don't make enough money to have to pay income taxes

Kids with part time jobs, single mothers or fathers with children in low paying jobs actually earn money (EIC) for being the working poor.

However, everyone pays taxes, sales tax is one huge example.

[RoyGBiv]

7. It is explained in the Mouse-Over

US Taxpayers = "U.S. Citizens who file IRS tax returns with Taxable income"

There are (apparently millions of) people who are employed who have no taxable income after deductions. Some are not even required to file tax returns, although not doing so means you don't get your tax return if you had withholding.

Withholding taxes creates a fudge in the definition there since there are people who are subject to withholding (or don't do anything about their withholding) who end up not having any federal tax burden. These people are giving the government an interest-free loan.

[imdjh]

8. Some people use witholding as a forced savings account.

[CreekDog]

9. They seem to be counting tax returns filed

2009 FILING SEASON STATISTICS
Individual Income Tax Returns

Total Receipts
139,928,000
Total Processed
117,014,000

http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=207293,00.html

A lot of people don't even need to file because they are children or don't have any income to speak of.