Actually, there’s not a very good answer to this question because what we have here is a horse and cart situation.
The reason the employer is asking for salary rates is because he/she is looking for a way to diminish the pool of applicants, and one of the most common ways to do this is to ask candidates what they’ve been making in the past. The way it works is if you DON'T give this information, WON'T be considered. Period.
About the only work around that is possible is to write a very nice cover letter explaining the fact that while you have held salaries for as much as $XYZ, you are no longer searching for the ‘bucks’ but rather for job satisfaction. Therefore, the paycheck is really the least important part of the job.
Having said that however, be ready with a convincing and logical answer as to WHY you don't need the fancy salary... Some that come to mind are outright lies like (1) I just inherited a substantial sum of money from my great uncle/dog/sister etc and I can afford to work for much less than previously; 2) My wife has a significant retirement benefit which allows us to live quite comfortably without my financial contributions or 3) I just won the lottery. Note: none of these answers are recommended!
You might not want to use the previous answers, but you DO need to create a sense of devil-may-care re what salary they offer you, and the usual phrase is 'I'm open for discussion on that point."
If the employer does agree to interview you, he may still want to see a dollar amount. If this is the case, no reasoning is going to persuade him otherwise. You will therefore need to provide him with an acceptable range. Note that if you’re applying for a position as Senior Management, this range would likely be in 10K increments: ie. “I am looking for $80,000-90,000. If applying for a more modest position, your range would obviously be a more modest one: i.e. $30,000-$32,000.
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