Rodgers vs. Roethlisberger: A Tale of Two Taxpayers

by Joshua on February 5, 2011

If you have been watching the endless coverage of this Sunday’s Super Bowl match-up, you have probably realized that most of the conversation has been centered around the quarterbacks (as is usually the case). While Trent Dilfer and Steve Young talk about what they like and dislike about Packer’s QB Aaron Rodgers and Steelers’ QB Ben Roethlisberger respective styles, not much is being made of the star’s tax liabilities. Well, the Wall Street Journal has taken the liberty to shed light on this topic. According to the article:

Take the Packers’ fleet-footed quarterback Aaron Rodgers. He made $8.6 million in 2009, according to USA Today’s database of player salaries. Of that, we calculate he paid roughly $680,000 in state and $3.1 million in federal income and payroll taxes. Steeler quarterback Ben Roethlisberger didn’t earn as much, but he got to keep a relatively larger chunk of his haul—$4.6 million of his $7.7 million salary. (This excludes taxes paid to states that tax players visiting on away games.) Unlike Wisconsin, which has a graduated income tax that charges top earners 7.75% on earnings over $220,000, Pennsylvania has a 3% flat rate. Even football players can behold the merit of a flat tax.

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