re: The average American pays $524,625 in taxes in their lifetime

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Averages seem like a bad measure here, given that almost half (maybe more) people pay zero federal or state income tax.

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Yeah, median would be more helpful, but even that doesn’t tell the whole story.

Something like 10% of Americans are paying about 90% of the taxes.

EDIT: Never mind. Article is talking into account income, property and sales taxes. That average could be meaning actually. Lower earners spend almost all of what they earn so pay a lot on sales taxes.