Having looked at where the money goes, I want to briefly review where it comes from.
This chart is laid out like the last, but extends somewhat farther back in time. It too is drawn from the Office of Management and Budget Historical Tables, Table 2.1.
It shows how federal government money comes almost entirely from individuals, via both the personal income tax and Social Security taxes. While corporate income tax rates are nominally fairly high, corporations have many opportunities to exclude income from taxation, or to get a variety of deductions or credits, with the result that the overall burden of federal taxation on corporations is quite light.
15 Nov 2010