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Why American Workers Pay Twice as Much in Taxes as Wealthy Investors

bloomberg.com

151–160 of 323 posts

Re: Why American Workers Pay Twice as Much in Taxes as Wealthy Investors

#152

> Americans in the top 1 percent, and especially the top 0.1 percent, have seen their wealth and income multiply in recent decades as the rest of the country’s share of the economic pie shrank. Since 2000, a recent study found, the top 1 percent have made those gains almost entirely on income from capital, especially corporate stock—not on labor income. One reason may be the financial options of the wealthy: Business…

Ok, I'm not getting something here, how does incorporating a corporation at age 25 reduce your taxes if you're still a salaried worker in another company for example?

Re: Why American Workers Pay Twice as Much in Taxes as Wealthy Investors

#153

Here is a question for any tax attorneys out there. Not sure how to find a clear answer to this question but these pages[1][2] seems to suggest that the capital gains tax rate is based on your "Taxable Income". This is shown further down the second page to be "really Regularly Taxed Income minus Adjustments, Deductions, and Exemptions". If your "Taxable Income" is less than 37,950 your long range capital gains tax is…

The base tax bracket rates you're looking at are based on AGI (adjusted gross income); investment income is _included_ in AGI, so if you have a million dollars in investment income and one dollar in earned income, your gross income is $1,000,001; your tax rates for both investment income and earned income will be set appropriately.

Re: Why American Workers Pay Twice as Much in Taxes as Wealthy Investors

#154
post #123

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yes. I would assume the article's point IS to emphasize the author's point.

Sure! It'd be more credible if it acknowledged the unrealistic assumptions that it's making. Reminds me of the Engineering dept t-shirt I saw in college: "assuming a spherical cow..."

I mean, sure. But the point is to make the problem accessible to the reader, not to obscure it through the ton of variables present in real life.

Which actually goes back to the t-shirt example. If we had to consider a real cow every time, nobody would want to study engineering ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Re: Why American Workers Pay Twice as Much in Taxes as Wealthy Investors

#155

> Americans in the top 1 percent, and especially the top 0.1 percent, have seen their wealth and income multiply in recent decades as the rest of the country’s share of the economic pie shrank. Since 2000, a recent study found, the top 1 percent have made those gains almost entirely on income from capital, especially corporate stock—not on labor income. One reason may be the financial options of the wealthy: Business…

[deleted]

Re: Why American Workers Pay Twice as Much in Taxes as Wealthy Investors

#156

> Americans in the top 1 percent, and especially the top 0.1 percent, have seen their wealth and income multiply in recent decades as the rest of the country’s share of the economic pie shrank. Since 2000, a recent study found, the top 1 percent have made those gains almost entirely on income from capital, especially corporate stock—not on labor income. One reason may be the financial options of the wealthy: Business…

> If you invest the bonus and earn 20% by next November

So simple!

And I imagine if there were a reliable way to earn 20% in a year even regular Joes would be taking advantage.

Re: Why American Workers Pay Twice as Much in Taxes as Wealthy Investors

#157
post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

FTA “There is little empirical evidence showing that taxing investors less stimulates savings and growth,” said Emmanuel Saez, an economist at the University of California at Berkeley.

Yes. But that's because there is so little data and so many confounding variables There is little empirical evidence for everything in macroeconomics, including for Saez's claims.

Wait, did you really just say, “I acknowledge there is no evidence” immediately followed by “there is no evidence for the absence of evidence”?

If I’m not missing something you though was implicit somehow, that is some pretty remarkable logic.

Re: Why American Workers Pay Twice as Much in Taxes as Wealthy Investors

#158

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Salaries (and bonuses) are considered expenses for the company and will be tax deductible. I believe the example was that you may as a contractor (with your own company) receive a bonus to your corporation and be able to offset taxes for another 11 months compared to having the bonus paid out personally.

Working as a contractor for your wholly-owned company would never pass muster with the IRS. You might be able to avoid audit for a little while, but when this catches up to you it will be a huge mess. They would recast the transactions (they can do this) and you'd end up owing a ton of tax and penalties. Source: I'm a (former) tax lawyer.

no but instead of taking out the money to pay yourself, you just buy things as assets of the company therefore reducing tax exposure.. at least thats the way I have heard of.

Re: Why American Workers Pay Twice as Much in Taxes as Wealthy Investors

#159
post #135

Here is a question for any tax attorneys out there. Not sure how to find a clear answer to this question but these pages[1][2] seems to suggest that the capital gains tax rate is based on your "Taxable Income". This is shown further down the second page to be "really Regularly Taxed Income minus Adjustments, Deductions, and Exemptions". If your "Taxable Income" is less than 37,950 your long range capital gains tax is…

IANATA, but if you look at the qualified dividends and capital gains tax worksheet [0] on personal income tax form 1040 (that’s the main tax form for individuals), you’ll find that your capital gains tax rate is dependent on your income including capital gains . For the purposes of your example, Larry and Sergei would pay no tax on the first 37,949 of capital gain income (thanks to the $1 salary), but regular capital…

Thanks. That makes sense. Didn't think a loophole that big would not be talked about more. On the other hand, it is interesting to know that you can have a capital gains income of ~75k as a married couple and pay no taxes, if you have no other income. Not a bad income for early retirement.

Re: Why American Workers Pay Twice as Much in Taxes as Wealthy Investors

#160
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Could you link to any "for dummies"-type resources that show how you can incorporate and use that corporation to reduce your taxes? Something that would hopefully be applicable to your typical middle-class homeowner in their 30s with young kids and a 9-5 making enough to get by but is looking for any edge they can find? Edit: (in the US)

Tax shelters are not made for people like you. The middle class is best served by collective bargaining to increase their wages and benefits, strong consumer protections, and access to affordable health care. Up to about your first 5-10 million (depending on where you live) you need to play by the rules. After that, you can think about hiring a tax advisor to start scamming the system. But the downmarket financial ad…

The OP mentioned starting their strategy when they were 25, implying they are/were a "normal" person, which is why I asked, since my vague understanding of the situation in the US matches what you describe, that you have to have gobs of money to begin with before you can really start gaming things.
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