‘About 60%’ of his salary goes to Uncle Sam while the poor still suffer

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‘About 60%’ of his salary goes to Uncle Sam while the poor still suffer

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Bill Maher is tired of hearing that the rich don’t pay taxes — especially after his Tax Day calculations.

In the latest episode of Real Time with Bill MaherThe HBO executive compiled what he said he sent to the government.

“Last week was Tax Day… I paid the government, if you add state, property, sales, property, fees, Obamacare, it’s about 60% of my income,” said Maher (1). “That’s a lot.”

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He then targeted Sen. Bernie Sanders – and the broader argument that wealthy Americans aren’t paying their fair share.

“I still don’t mind if Bernie Sanders stops saying the rich don’t pay taxes,” he said with a laugh.

Maher acknowledged that the “super rich” might be a different story, saying that those with “their own army of accountants and corporate loopholes” could find ways to reduce their tax liabilities. But he argued that “people who are always rich” are already burdened.

“The top 10% pay 72% of all federal income tax, while the bottom half pay 3%,” he said.

Some high earners pay their fair share of federal income tax in America. According to IRS data analyzed by the Tax Foundation in 2022, the top 10% earned 49.4% of total adjusted income in 2022 and paid 72% of the federal income tax (2). The bottom half of taxpayers paid 3% of the total federal income tax.

Maher said he is not opposed to welfare programs, which include Social Security, unemployment insurance, Medicare, nutrition assistance, Medicaid, Obamacare, disability benefits and housing subsidies.

But he questioned why so many Americans still seem to be struggling when the government collects — and spends — so much money.

“And, not against it,” Maher said. “It’s just the same question: How can you sink the rich and fail the poor so badly?”

He pointed to Remote Area Medical, a non-profit organization that provides free medical, dental and eye care through pop-up clinics, as an example of the gap between government spending and real-world needs. At some clinics, patients queue for hours – or camp out overnight – to receive care.

“How is it possible that the federal government alone took over $5 trillion in taxes last year and we still need that?” Maher asked. “We really don’t know this and are corrupt?”

The federal government collected a record $5.235 billion in receipts in fiscal year 2025, while spending $7.01 trillion – leaving a $1.775 trillion debt (3). In other words, Washington takes in billions, spends more, and yet many Americans still struggle to get basic health care.

Maher: ‘The very rich keep getting richer’

Maher’s broader point was not that poverty is exaggerated, or that wealthy Americans should be ignored. In fact, he said “the very rich continue to get richer,” while a growing portion of Americans feel “really desperate.”

But that comparison shows a deep divide in the tax debate: income and wealth are not the same thing.

The wealthiest Americans — especially billionaires — tend to build their wealth from assets, not salaries. As the value of these goods increases, their value increases and increases. However, the US tax system is not designed to fully capture those benefits. Capital gains are generally taxed at lower rates than ordinary income and taxes are not owed until the assets are sold.

According to a report from ProPublica, some billionaires in the US paid little or no taxes compared to the vast amount of money they collected (4).

In fact, as NYU Stern professor Scott Galloway says, if you’re trying to build wealth, “you have an obligation to pay as little tax as possible.”

One asset class that America’s wealthy have relied on for decades is real estate — in part because of the generous tax treatment it receives.

If you earn rent from an investment property, you can claim a deduction for a wide range of expenses, such as mortgage interest, property taxes, insurance and ongoing maintenance and repairs.

Real estate investors also benefit from depreciation — a tax deduction that recognizes the gradual wear and tear of a property over time. Investors can use tools like reinvestment and 1031 exchanges to keep their money compounded instead of cashing out.

Today, you don’t need to be a millionaire – or buy one outright – to invest in real estate. Crowdfunding platforms like Ufikele offer an easy way to gain exposure to this revenue-generating asset class.

Backed by world-class investors like Jeff Bezos, Arrived lets you invest in rental housing stocks for as little as $100, all without the hassle of mowing lawns, fixing leaky faucets or managing difficult tenants.

The process is simple: browse selected homes that have been evaluated for their appreciation and income potential. Once you’ve found a property you like, choose the number of shares you’d like to buy and sit back to start receiving any rental income distributions from your investment.

As of November 2025, Arrived has already paid out more than $19 million in dividends to more than 900,000 registered investors.

Another option is Lightstone DIRECT, which allows individual investors to access high-quality, private real estate.

The Lightstone DIRECT investor-directed model ensures a high level of alignment between individual investors and a vertically-integrated, owner-operator institution – a sophisticated and structured option for individual investors seeking diversification in the private market real estate.

Through Lightstone DIRECT, accredited individuals can access the same multifamily and industrial properties that Lightstone pursues with its capital, with minimum investments starting at $100,000.

Read More: Robert Kiyosaki warned of ‘Greater Depression’ – with millions of Americans falling into poverty. Was he right?

Save more of what you earn

The wealthy don’t just focus on what they invest in – they also look closely at where that money lives. Using tax-advantaged retirement accounts can be a powerful way to keep more money compounded over time.

For example, traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs allow investments to grow tax-deferred or tax-free, depending on the type of account.

While many retirement accounts primarily hold stocks and mutual funds, some investors choose to diversify further. Ray Dalio, the founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, has repeatedly warned that most portfolios lack one key safety asset: gold.

“People don’t have, in general, a sufficient amount of gold in their portfolio,” he told CNBC last year. “When times are bad, gold is the most effective asset.”

Long seen as a safe haven, gold is not tied to any one country, currency or economy. It will not be created by the will of the central banks as fiat money, and in times of economic turmoil, market turmoil or global uncertainty, history has shown that investors tend to accumulate – increase their value.

Despite the recent setback, gold prices have risen more than 40% in the past 12 months.

Another way to invest in gold that also offers significant tax benefits is to open a gold IRA with the help of Priority Gold.

Gold IRAs allow investors to hold physical gold or gold-related assets in a retirement account, thus combining the tax benefits of an IRA with the protective benefits of investing in gold, making it an option for those looking to help protect their retirement funds from economic uncertainty.

And if you make a qualifying purchase with Priority Gold, you can get up to $10,000 in precious metals for free.

Work with an expert

At the end of the day, everyone’s financial situation is different – from income levels and investment goals to debt obligations and risk tolerance – which means that the best move for someone else may not be the best move for you.

If you’re not sure where to start, it may be the right time to contact a financial advisor through Advisor.com.

Advisor.com is an online platform that matches you with vetted financial advisors suited to your unique needs. They can help plan a strategy that fits your financial situation, whether you want to protect your wealth, reduce your tax burden or plan for long-term financial security.

Once you’ve been matched with a consultant, you can book a free consultation with no obligation to hire.