According to Mitt Romney, you can't accuse him of wanting to raise taxes on middle income people because "middle income" includes people who make between $200,000 and $250,000 per year.
"No one can say my plan is going to raise taxes on middle-income people, because principle number one is (to) keep the burden down on middle-income taxpayers," Romney told host George Stephanopoulos.
"Is $100,000 middle income?" Stephanopoulos asked.
"No, middle income is $200,000 to $250,000 and less," Romney responded.
Roughly 4 percent of the nation makes $200,000 or more, the median household income is $50,000, and roughly 25 percent of the nation makes $25,000 or less.
It's true that Romney wouldn't raise taxes on people making between $200,000 and $250,000, but his plan would raise taxes on those making below that amount according to the Tax Policy Center.
The original TPC study found that in a single year, 2015, Romney’s plan would shift at least $86 billion of the tax burden from households with incomes over $200,000 to households with incomes below that level. TPC estimates that in the same year, Romney’s unpaid-for corporate tax cuts would cost $96 billion. Therefore, the tax increases on the middle class that TPC originally estimated – at least $2,000 for families and $500 for all taxpayers with incomes under $200,000 – would likely be around twice as much if Romney’s unpaid-for corporate tax cuts are taken into account.
Even if you give Romney the benefit of the doubt and allow him the courtesy that he doesn't believe $200,000 is the median income in America, his claim that "no one can say my plan is going to raise taxes on middle-income people" still wouldn't be accurate.
His plan would raise taxes on the overwhelming majority of Americans while cutting taxes on the wealthy. This includes everyone making up to $200,000 per year, or roughly 96 percent of the country.