Uncle Sam and the California Bear. Composite image by the Los Angeles Almanac. Bear image by TIP PDP at PublicDomainPictures.net.
What Los Angeles County Contributes to the U.S. Federal Budget
In 2022, Los Angeles County contributed $72.6 billion in federal personal income tax revenue. That amount was 3.5 percent of all U.S. income tax revenue. It exceeded the tax contribution of any other U.S. county and even the entire state contribution of any one of 43 U.S. states. Los Angeles County’s tax contribution funds the entire annual expense of operating the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier fleet, all of the Navy's attack and ballistic missile submarine fleet, and the entire U.S. Marine Corps. If you prefer to consider non-military expenditures, L.A. County’s contribution funds almost all of the combined annual expense of the U.S. Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security.
U.S. Dollar amounts are in thousands of dollars.
| County & State | Income Tax After Credits | Number of Individual Returns | Adjust Gross Income (AGI) | Total Income | Taxable Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles County, CA | $72,583,901 | 4,691,250 | $457,528,383 | $462,829,130 | $367,334,165 |
| New York County (Manhattan), NY | $51,162,535 | 855,470 | $221,832,290 | $224,196,857 | $202,574,441 |
| Cook County (Chicago), IL | $40,099,375 | 2,501,880 | $251,680,372 | $254,198,576 | $205,039,047 |
| Santa Clara County (San Jose), CA | $38,935,008 | 925,920 | $197,351,848 | $198,556,882 | $171,058,166 |
| King County, WA | $32,751,232 | 1,150,040 | $185,601,265 | $186,904,471 | $158,231,459 |
| County & State | Income Tax After Credits | Number of Individual Returns | Adjust Gross Income (AGI) | Total Income | Taxable Income |
| Harris County, TX | $32,223,065 | 2,147,630 | $204,361,707 | $206,154,638 | $162,918,384 |
| Miami-Dade County, FL | $29,367,329 | 1,445,830 | $160,808,191 | $162,277,592 | $133,744,026 |
| Orange County, CA | $28,884,520 | 1,551,230 | $180,734,621 | $182,769,051 | $147,559,529 |
| Maricopa County, AZ | $28,448,715 | 2,109,250 | $201,050,483 | $202,816,484 | $159,342,876 |
| Palm Beach County, FL | $27,347,952 | 789,140 | $139,335,489 | $140,535,352 | $121,584,408 |
* "Income Tax After Credits" does not include taxes from recapture of certain prior-year credits, tax applicable to individual retirement arrangements (IRA's), social security taxes on self-employment income and on certain tip income, advanced earned income payments, household employment taxes, and certain "other taxes" listed in the Form 1040 instructions.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
In 2022, Los Angeles County's population accounted for 3 percent of the population of the United States. Yet, the county paid 3.5 percent of all federal personal income taxes that year.
U.S. Dollar amounts are in thousands of dollars.
| Income Bracket | Total Income Tax After Credits* | Number of Returns | Total Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) | Total Income | Total Taxable Income |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Income Brackets | $72,583,901 | 4,691,250 | $457,528,383 | $462,829,130 | $367,334,165 |
| Under $1 | $5,312 | 89,460 | -$7,820,813 | -$7,734,811 | $0 |
| $1 - $9,999 | $3,195 | 478,270 | $2,424,320 | $2,536,804 | $19,877 |
| $10,000 - $24,999 | $190,323 | 802,720 | $13,794,463 | $14,134,801 | $2,488,903 |
| $25,000 - $49,999 | $1,867,781 | 1,122,140 | $41,328,773 | $41,828,214 | $21,883,788 |
| Income Bracket | Total Income Tax After Credits* | Number of Returns | Total Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) | Total Income | Total Taxable Income |
| $50,000 - $74,999 | $3,057,895 | 692,550 | $42,576,876 | $42,995,045 | $29,300,334 |
| $75,000 - $99,999 | $3,467,080 | 426,470 | $36,920,269 | $37,248,352 | $27,671,954 |
| $100,000 - $199,999 | $11,500,295 | 687,310 | $95,057,390 | $95,959,832 | $76,899,867 |
| $200,000+ | $52,492,020 | 392,330 | $233,247,105 | $235,860,893 | $209,069,442 |
* "Total Income Tax After Credits" does not include taxes from recapture of certain prior-year credits, tax applicable to individual retirement arrangements (IRA's), social security taxes on self-employment income and on certain tip income, advanced earned income payments, household employment taxes, and certain "other taxes" listed in the Form 1040 instructions.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
U.S. Dollar amounts are in thousands of dollars.
| Year | Total Income Tax After Credits* | Number of Returns | Total Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) | Total Income | Taxable Income | Percent of California's Total Federal Income Tax |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $72,583,901 | 4,691,250 | $457,528,383 | $462,829,130 | $367,334,165 | 23.2% |
| 2021 | $80,120,083 | 4,799,060 | $480,343,326 | $485,525,828 | $389,671,393 | 22.3% |
| 2020 | $60,802,068 | 5,028,630 | $398,890,965 | $404,245,849 | $317,812,648 | 22.4% |
| 2019 | $56,805,829 | 4,806,030 | $383,692,194 | $389,092,444 | $301,918,765 | 23.5% |
| Year | Total Income Tax After Credits* | Number of Returns | Total Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) | Total Income | Taxable Income | Percent of California's Total Federal Income Tax |
| 2018 | $57,267,818 | 4,702,060 | $384,088,479 | $389,392,958 | $301,451,591 | 24.2% |
| 2017 | $57,627,895 | 4,699,360 | $364,557,900 | $370,175,569 | $261,111,603 | 24.6% |
| 2016 | $51,967,985 | 4,638,710 | $336,172,190 | $341,646,722 | $237,274,618 | 24.3% |
| 2015 | $51,312,723 | 4,644,280 | $331,317,036 | $336,712,583 | $234,316,305 | 24.5% |
| Year | Total Income Tax After Credits* | Number of Returns | Total Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) | Total Income | Taxable Income | Percent of California's Total Federal Income Tax |
| 2014 | $47,297,511 | 4,563,010 | $310,538,656 | $315,657,066 | $218,096,969 | 24.6% |
| 2013 | $41,792,518 | 4,510,530 | $284,888,101 | $289,776,982 | $195,198,984 | 24.8% |
| 2012 | $40,671,244 | 4,452,130 | $288,792,866 | --No Data-- | $199,458,952 | 25.0% |
* "Total Income Tax After Credits" does not include taxes from recapture of certain prior-year credits, tax applicable to individual retirement arrangements (IRA's), social security taxes on self-employment income and on certain tip income, advanced earned income payments, household employment taxes, and certain "other taxes" listed in the Form 1040 instructions.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service.
U.S. Dollar amounts are in thousands of dollars.
| Year | Personal Income Tax Assessed | Number of Returns | Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) | Percent of State's Personal Income Tax Assessed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | $22,492,888 | 4,517,811 | $453,833,386 | 21.2% |
| 2021 | $26,040,523 | 4,572,157 | $457,842,010 | 20.7% |
| 2020 | $22,537,142 | 4,728,015 | $384,747,277 | 21.7% |
| 2019 | $21,143,806 | 4,653,590 | $379,777,072 | 21.1% |
| Year | Personal Income Tax Assessed | Number of Returns | Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) | Percent of State's Personal Income Tax Assessed |
| 2018 | $20,645,822 | 4,516,237 | $331,342,689 | 21.9% |
| 2017 | $19,724,146 | 4,433,194 | $346,811,236 | 22.9% |
| 2016 | $17,44,240 | 4,427,106 | $322,745,543 | 22.6% |
| 2015 | $16,810,162 | 4,255,233 | $310,621,984 | 22.5% |
| Year | Personal Income Tax Assessed | Number of Returns | Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) | Percent of State's Personal Income Tax Assessed |
| 2014 | $14,512,537 | 4,188,276 | $282,946,347 | 22.8% |
| 2013 | $13,466,440 | 4,099,191 | $267,252,031 | 23.2% |
| 2012 | $14,519,899 | 4,033,201 | $269,387,091 | 23.6% |
Source: California Open Data Portal.
