some calculations of $700 billion from IRS stats from 2005

[hfojvt]

134,372,678 tax filers, total AGI 7,422 billion,
income taxes paid - 934.8 billion

57,898,144 (43%) with income under $25,000, total AGI 594.17 billion (8%)
income taxes paid - 15.93 billion (1.7%) call them the working poor

62,098,044 (46%) with income between $25,000 and $100,000, total AGI 3,228 billion (43.5%) call them the middle class
income taxes paid - 249.68 billion (26.7%)

10,810,367 (8%) with income between $100,000 and $200,000; total AGI 1,431 billion (19.3%) call them the upper middle class (although they are in the top 10%, so I hate to attach the word "middle" to them)
income taxes paid - 189.47 billion (20.27%)

3,566,125 (2.65%) with income over $200,000; total AGI 2,170 billion (29.2%)
income taxes paid - 479.76 billion (51.3%)

Conclusion - $700 billion is about 10% of the total AGI of $7,422 billion. If it was paid by a 10% across the board surtax, then
the working poor would pay $59.4 billion
the middle class would pay $322.8 billion
the upper middle class would pay $143.1 billion
the rich would pay $217 billion

If, however, it was paid by the same percentages as the income tax, then
the working poor would pay $11.9 billion
the middle class would pay $186.9 billion
the upper middle class would pay $141.89 billion
the rich would pay $359.1 billion

[hfojvt]

1. kick - the purpose is kinda to show who pays and who benefits

46% of the population gets 43% of the income and pays only 27% of the taxes. While that is weighted to the upper middle, the middle class does pretty well in our country. How many DUers are actually in the lower group (income below $25,000)?