Do You Know How Many Americans Pay ZERO Income Tax?

As the annual tax deadline approaches, most of us are in a tizzy getting all our forms, records and receipts ready for our returns. Or are we? Believe it or not, this year, nearly half of all Americans won't be giving a penny to Uncle Sam.

According the the Tax Policy Center, an estimated 45.3 percent of American households - more than 77 million - didn't pay any federal income tax in 2015.

Here's the breakdown: About half - 38 million - don't pay any federal income tax because they don't have any taxable income. The other half have income, but get enough tax breaks to eliminate their tax liability.

Meanwhile, the richest 20 percent of American pay the most in income taxes. That group pays 87 percent of all the income tax collected.

The top 1 percent of Americans, with an average income of over $2 million, pay nearly 44 percent of all the federal individual income tax in the US.

When it comes to other taxes - payroll, excise, corporate income and estate taxes - things are a little more fair. That's because almost all Americans pay some sort of "excise" taxes, including taxes on gasoline, alcohol and cigarettes, etc.