• In 2010, the federal deficit was $1.3 trillion.
   
• In 2009, U.S. taxpayers took a total of $1.1 trillion in deductions, credits and exemptions.

Some of the biggest tax breaks:

Taxpayers	Saved/Cost*	Description	Comment
34.6 million taxpayers	nearly $77 billion	deducting the interest they paid on their home mortgages	Mostly benefits the upper classes, expecially the very wealthy.
40.7 million taxpayers	$40 billion	deducting state and local income, sales and personal property taxes.**	Generally helps the wealthier people the most (as they are more likely to itemize their deductions)
33.5 million households	$21 billion	deducting state and local real estate taxes.*	Generally helps the wealthier people the most (as they are more likely to itemize their deductions)
36 million families	nearly $35 billion	deducting charitable donations	Generally helps the wealthier people the most (as they are more likely to itemize their deductions)
28 million taxpayers	$24 billion	Portion of their income from Social Security and railroad pensions that was untaxed.	Plus, what was taxed, was taxed at a lower rate.
36 million families	more than $54 billion	$1,000 per-child tax credit	54 million children
25.7 million low-income families	$55 billion	the earned income tax credit	-
Total	$306 billion	(Just for these seven loopholes)	So who got the other $800 billion?

*	Saved the individual taxpayer, but cost the nation (i.e., it added to the deficit and the national debt.
**	These are a subsidy to the states, some states getting more than others.