Newly released income tax data show that the top 1 percent of income earners now pay more than one-fourth of all federal individual income taxes. This group comprises 1.1 million filers with adjusted gross incomes of $181,713 or more in 1992. They earned 14.2 percent of all income and paid 27.4 percent of all taxes.

The 1992 data from the Internal Revenue Service also show:

• The top 5 percent of filers - those with adjusted gross incomes above $85,179 - paid 45.9 percent of all income taxes.

• The top 10 percent of filers - those with adjusted gross incomes above $64,560 - paid 57.5 percent of all income taxes.

• The top 50 percent of filers - those with adjusted gross incomes above $20,802 - paid 94.9 percent of all income taxes.

The top marginal income tax rate fell between 1963 and 1991, when the rate was increased. The proportion of total income taxes paid by high-income earners has been trending upward since 1970. For example, although the top income tax rate was 50 percent in 1982 and only 31 percent in 1992, income taxes paid by the top 1 percent of filers rose from 19 percent of the total in 1982 to 27.4 percent in 1992.

The 1992 tax returns included 67,044 from filers with adjusted gross incomes over $1 million. This group - less than six one-hundredths of 1 percent of all filers - paid almost 10 percent of the total individual income taxes for the year.

Source: Chris R. Edwards, "Who Pays Federal Income Taxes," Special Report No. 42, November 1994, Tax Foundation, 1250 H Street NW, Suite 750, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 783-2760.