progressive income tax definition apush
What is a 'Progressive Tax' A progressive tax is a tax that takes a larger percentage from high-income earners than it does from low-income individuals. The U.S. income tax system is considered progressive. In 2016, individuals who have under $9,275 of taxable income pay 10% in income tax, while taxpayers earning more than the benchmark cutoff of $415,050 fall into tax brackets with rates up to 39.6%.