RobDownSouth
BoycotDivestSanctio
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2002
- Posts
- 78,523
The argument is over long term capital gains tax -- a tax levied by the government on already-taxed earnings. A corporation pays the regular corporate rate and then, on top of that, pays the same rate or a reduced rate based on the length of time an investment has been held. If it's greater than one year, they pay the reduced rate of 15% as an add-on to the 35% already paid when the invested money was earned.
Thus, Obama and Buffet are lying when they claim that the secretary pays a higher rate than Buffet does. She pays a rate based on her income bracket and he accumulates his wealth in the form of long term capital gains. The secretary could also take whatever the IRS leaves her, after taxes, and make long term capital investments and pay the 15 percent.
By the same token, Buffet could pay himself a salary and pay the higher rate income tax on said earnings, but he chooses instead to take his wealth in the form of long term capital gains. He chooses to pay 15% after his company earnings payment of 35% has already been made.
Why not ask Buffet to take his wealth in the form of a salary -- the same as his secretary? Oh, no. The media simply wants to suggest that the secretary and Buffet both get paid the same way but, because he is rich, he pays a lower rate. To compare income tax rates and capital gains tax rates is like comparing the Los Angeles Lakers and the New England Patriots: A stupid waste of time at best. In the case of Buffet and Obama, it's simply lying.
Adding: Indeed, my trust earns money and pays taxes at the 15% rate; I work as a writer / editor and I pay at the regular income tax rate. The idea of having a lower rate for long term capital gains is to encourage long term investments, and acknowledge this is double taxation: taxes levied on the profits generated by already-taxed money.
WHAR IS DOUBLE TAXATION? WHAR?
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