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Tax details of US super-rich allegedly leaked

bbc.com

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Re: Tax details of US super-rich allegedly leaked

#31
post #4

> The website alleges That's an unfortunately dismissive way to refer to ProPublica. They're more accomplished than most news rooms: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ProPublica#Awards

Dismissive? It's factual. As in, "the prosecution alleges..."

I think the parent comment was referring to the characterization of ProPublica as just a “website”.

Re: Tax details of US super-rich allegedly leaked

#32
post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The issue is when the ultra-wealthy take out loans against their investment assets (and thus, those unrealized capital gains). By doing that, ultra-wealthy _are_ realizing the value of their investments without being taxed. That's how this wealth is being accessed, and that's a large component of what drives these ultra-low tax rates for the ultra-wealthy.

Loans have to be repaid at some point. That does not avoid the tax, it just delays it.

Not true. Perpetuity's exist.

https://www.investopedia.com/terms/p/perpetuity.asp

Re: Tax details of US super-rich allegedly leaked

#34
post #5

I've seen people complaining that the article is disingenuous because it conflates income taxes with capital gains taxes. My response is 'so what'. When you make above a certain income level, you don't need anymore income and can play around with reinvesting capital gains to push taxes into the future while amassing wealth. Sure, you're not realizing the income, but what you're doing, I think, is gaining power and in…

It’s hard to value a potential large liquidation. A market sell by Jeff Bezos of 40% of his Amazon stock to pay for income tax would destabilize the markets. Also, if there was no tax advantage to holding stocks long term, the entire stock market would have been liquidated to zero in q1 of 2020. market volatility would certainly be much higher than it is now.

Re: Tax details of US super-rich allegedly leaked

#35
post #14
post #5

I've seen people complaining that the article is disingenuous because it conflates income taxes with capital gains taxes. My response is 'so what'. When you make above a certain income level, you don't need anymore income and can play around with reinvesting capital gains to push taxes into the future while amassing wealth. Sure, you're not realizing the income, but what you're doing, I think, is gaining power and in…

We do tax capital gains. You pay taxes when you sell. Do you mean tax unrealized capital gains? There is a reason you don’t owe taxes on a stock you haven’t sold yet. For one thing, what if you have to pay tax at one valuation, and then it goes down later.

I agree that taxing unrealized capital gains is a fundamentally flawed approach. However, the problem with the current system is that these ultra-wealthy people just end up borrowing against their equity, avoiding selling if possible.

I think it would make sense to count borrowing against equity as tax-wise equivalent to selling that same equity.

With that loophole closed, together with raising the capital gains tax, I think the tax system would be much more in line with what people expect from it.

Re: Tax details of US super-rich allegedly leaked

#36
post #7

"Don't hate the player hate the game," is what comes to my mind. I would guess it's all legal. It is still good to have transparency, which might potentially change things. I am not so sure though. After all, politicans are usually rich as well. But: All of these super-rich have probably created many, many jobs. I guess all-in-all it is a positive game for society.

some of these players have had a major hand in setting the rules of this game in their favor

Re: Tax details of US super-rich allegedly leaked

#39
It's bizarre to see the federal outcry here since in Norway, everyone's tax return is "public". (You can request to see anybody's but they do get a notification that you viewed it. It was anonymous until recently)

It's hard to argue against sunlight being the best disinfectant.

Re: Tax details of US super-rich allegedly leaked

#40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The issue is when the ultra-wealthy take out loans against their investment assets (and thus, those unrealized capital gains). By doing that, ultra-wealthy _are_ realizing the value of their investments without being taxed. That's how this wealth is being accessed, and that's a large component of what drives these ultra-low tax rates for the ultra-wealthy.

Then HELOC would be taxed which many middle class people rely on. Also its a loan so it need to be paid back. Will payments on private loans be deducted from income then?

Solutions to taxation do not need to be black and white simple rules. The US tax code is already purported to be 70,000 pages. It would be perfectly reasonable to write one tax code for middle class people below a certain net worth that encourages wealth creation, family wealth, credit and investment. It would be perfectly reasonable to have a separate tax code for the ultra wealthy that curtails loopholes, tax shelters, dynastic wealth and offshore accounting. For example, some countries tax net worth over a certain number of millions.
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