Ugh...  Since Forbes can probably make this argument based only on the facts, why did they have to invent a "79% tax rate" for this person?  It's simply not true.<p>Paying college tuition is not tax, and student financial aid usually does not take the form of a tax rebate.  Therefore, including this in their "79% bogeyman" is inaccurate.<p>Furthermore, paying your home mortgage is not a tax, and relief on your mortgages may or may not take the form of a tax rebate.  Again, it is inaccurate to lump this into the so-called 79% tax rate.<p>Forbes made this even worse by applying these expenses to the top 60,000 of the person's 120,000 income, and calling the entire thing the "marginal tax rate."<p>By my calculations, we're talking about a 27.5% marginal tax rate on the top 60k of her income, and then whatever the tax rate would be on her lower 60k of income.  I'm going to estimate the tax rate is something like 20%, which is far less horrifying than 79%.<p>It's still true that income differences will affect financial aid and mortgage payments, so Forbes should point that out, but it's totally irresponsible to call this a 79% tax rate.