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WSJ: Winners and Losers Under the Trump Tax Plan

Tovarisc

Member
Winners
People who don’t take deductions.
The framework would roughly double the amount of the standard deduction to $24,000 for married couples and $12,000 for singles.

This change would benefit taxpayers who don’t break out deductions for mortgage interest, state taxes, charitable donations and the like on Schedule A—and they file about 70% of all returns. Current itemizers might opt to refrain.

But there is a potential catch: in return for the expanded deduction, taxpayers will lose the personal exemption for each family member, which is $4,050 in 2017. It isn’t known whether additional changes will make up the difference for families with children.​

Heirs of very large estates.
The current estate tax applies only to individuals with assets greater than $5.5 million, and $11 million for couples, which exempts all but 0.2% of estates.

The framework would repeal both the estate tax and the so-called generation-skipping tax, which can impose estate tax if someone attempts to skip one or more layers of tax by leaving assets to descendants.

It isn’t clear whether estate-tax repeal will include other tax increases in this area—such as increasing capital-gains tax at death on very large estates.​

Higher-earning owners of so-called pass-through businesses.
The framework wants to lower the tax on pass-through business income. Currently owners of partnerships, limited-liability companies and S Corporations pay tax on income at the owner’s personal rate.

To stimulate economic growth, the framework would drop the top rate on the owner’s business income (other than wages) from about 40% to 25%. This change wouldn’t help small-business owners with tax rates below 25%, but it would benefit those taxed at higher rates.

Administration officials have said they won’t allow this lower rate for so-called personal service providers such as accountants, and this exception could also include doctors, lawyers, architects and others. Critics also worry that taxpayers will try to convert higher-taxed wages to lower-taxed business income by artful planning or outright cheating.​

Haters of the alternative minimum tax.
This complex surtax, which rescinds some tax benefits, is slated for total repeal.​

Losers
Residents of high-tax states.
Republican lawmakers and Mr. Trump seem determined to repeal write-offs for state and local income, property and sales taxes, which are deductible on federal tax returns.

These deductions currently cost Uncle Sam more than $100 billion a year, and lawmakers would like to use that to reduce taxes elsewhere, according to Scott Greenberg of the Tax Foundation. “Lawmakers favoring repeal see it as an inefficient subsidy,” he said.

If this write-off ends, the pain would be greatest in high-tax areas, including New York, New Jersey and California. There will likely be stiff opposition from Republican lawmakers representing these areas, so the write-off may be limited rather than repealed outright.​

People who take charitable and mortgage deductions.
The framework would specifically preserve these write-offs—although experts say the mortgage interest deduction could be curtailed to $500,000 of interest rather than $1 million. And a higher standard deduction would mean many homeowners’ annual mortgage-interest payments—combined with the repeal of other write-offs—might not be high enough to be worth itemizing.​

High-wage earners.
One of the few new elements in the framework is a possible rate above 35% for high earners, to ensure the new system is “at least as progressive as the existing tax code.” The rate and level of income it would apply to isn’t specified.

If such a rate is imposed, it will likely apply to mainly wage earners—not the business income of so-called pass-throughs or investment income such as capital gains and dividends. If it is coupled with loss of state and local tax deductions, some people could owe much more.​

People with large medical or disaster deductions.
Each of these write-offs on Schedule A has significant hurdles and is only available to taxpayers with large unreimbursed expenses—such as from nursing-home costs or Hurricane Harvey flood damage.

Both deductions would probably be repealed under the framework, along with those for investment interest, gambling losses and unreimbursed businesses expenses.​

BF-AU279_TAXREP_9U_20170927155407.jpg
https://www.wsj.com/articles/winners-and-losers-under-the-trump-tax-plan-1506542307
 
It's really hard to say any of that for sure because there are many many MANY places in the proposed bill that just state "And congress needs to work out the details... or not. Whichever." It also doesn't note that people on the lowest tax bracket also lose. The previous lowest bracket was 10%, this will make it 12%.
 

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
As the owner of a pass-through LLC it would effectively halve my annual tax bill.

This is terrible and I should pay my fair share of taxes to support those who live at or below the poverty line and to ensure a safety net for fellow citizens as well as pay my fare share for the infrastructure that supports me. I guarantee that I wind up taking a ton of "soft" money from the government that I don't even know about that goes to support ports of entry, highways, rail yards and other infrastructure projects that I don't even see, and my taxes need to pay their way to keeping those systems intact. Otherwise I'm benefiting off of public infrastructure and not paying into the system to support it.

I fucking hate the fact that Republicans have started treating people as "makers and takers" and I say that from someone strongly in their "maker" camp. I didn't get here alone and daily benefit from being a citizen of the country and I should pay my fair share into the system that provided me with the opportunity to wind up where I am as well as to make sure that there are programs there for those who need them.
 

StoOgE

First tragedy, then farce.
No matter what happens to tax laws, I always seem to get fucked living in NYC.

This is a direct shot at hurting the economy in Democratic strongholds. There is no reasonable explanation for this other than the federal government trying to punish liberal states.

The irony of large firms relocating big earners to Texas or Florida and turning those states blue would be amazing. But, this feels directly punitive at the most powerful states who are enemies of Republican programs since it basically is a New Jersey, CT, New York and California punishment.
 

Akainu

Member
Without reading the op let me guess? Winners rich people, big businesses and Trump. Losers everyone else.

How right?

edit: Oh WSJ. Winner rich people. Losers rich people. Somehow.
 
D

Deleted member 1159

Unconfirmed Member
WSJ just said high wage earners will lose by having their top marginal income tax rate cut from 39.6% to 35%.

WSJ seriously just did that.

Yeah I had trouble taking this list at face value because it was the WSJ and I guess this concern was validated.
 

Hari Seldon

Member
WSJ just said high wage earners will lose by having their top marginal income tax rate cut from 39.6% to 35%.

WSJ seriously just did that.

If I read it correctly they are saying that there might be a rate above 35% for "high earners". I hate this shit, give me the entire plan with all the fucking details, I don't want this spin shit.
 

KingV

Member
This is a direct shot at hurting the economy in Democratic strongholds. There is no reasonable explanation for this other than the federal government trying to punish liberal states.

The irony of large firms relocating big earners to Texas or Florida and turning those states blue would be amazing. But, this feels directly punitive at the most powerful states who are enemies of Republican programs since it basically is a New Jersey, CT, New York and California punishment.

Yeah, but I still don’t see it as viable. There are a fair number of red states that have high state income and property taxes.

My state has a state income tax of 6%, and property taxes over 2.5% and is ruby red. Not being able to deduct that money is a big change in my AGI, approaching 10%.
 

Plinko

Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
Be prepared to add "Working poor and middle-class who claim Earned Income Tax Credit" to that "Losers" list when the details of that come out.
 

Arc

Member
Honestly this sounds great for me. My only deduction is the interest on my massive pile of student loans which I can't take full advantage of since I earn above a threshold.

Selfish I know, but doubling the standard deduction will put a lot of cash in my pocket that I could use to get out of the student debt.
 
My wife and I live in CT and do quite a lot of deductions. If this goes through, we are fucked.

The country is in an economic civil war. The targeting of Medicaid dollars to red states and raising taxes on blue states via the elimination of the SALT deduction should be all the evidence you need to see.
 

SyNapSe

Member
If I read it correctly they are saying that there might be a rate above 35% for "high earners". I hate this shit, give me the entire plan with all the fucking details, I don't want this spin shit.

I don't think it's spin. They have 5 trillion in tax cuts they want. A budget promise to only push through 1.5 trillion.

Now they fight over what fits. That's been designated an area they'd prefer 35% but it's an option to add another bracket if it makes something fit that's worth it.
 
This write up makes the overall plan sound way more helpful to the majority of Americans than I would have expected. Higher standard deductions help lower class families and limiting mortgage deductions to a half million won’t affect the majority of Americans. My guess is that the overall net impact of this plan will create a crisis requiring massive cuts in the future, but people will be too happy taking more money home to realize this or care that the wealthiest Americans are getting even bigger breaks.
 

Hari Seldon

Member
This sounds like the people really getting screwed are going to be middle/upper middle class earners that live in high tax urban areas. The one good thing i do like is the limit on mortgage rate deduction to 500k.
 

Plinko

Wildcard berths that can't beat teams without a winning record should have homefield advantage
This write up makes the overall plan sound way more helpful to the majority of Americans than I would have expected. Higher standard deductions help lower class families and limiting mortgage deductions to a half million won't affect the majority of Americans. My guess is that the overall net impact of this plan will create a crisis requiring massive cuts in the future, but people will be too happy taking more money home to realize this or care that the wealthiest Americans are getting even bigger breaks.

And you got suckered by the "higher standard deduction." That's a cover. They're ripping away many other deductions families take, like the child tax deduction, which is HUGE for families. Most likely, this will lower or eliminate the EITC as well, which would be another direct hit to the budgets of poor and lower-middle-class families.

It's a massive transfer of wealth to corporations and the rich.
 
The last time a Republican cut taxes it increased the deficit more than the wars they started. Can't wait to see where we go next!
 

dramatis

Member
Honestly this sounds great for me. My only deduction is the interest on my massive pile of student loans which I can't take full advantage of since I earn above a threshold.

Selfish I know, but doubling the standard deduction will put a lot of cash in my pocket that I could use to get out of the student debt.
It doesn't actually double the standard deduction.
Here's the important fine print: "To simplify the tax rules, the additional standard deduction and the personal exemptions for taxpayer and spouse are consolidated into this larger standard deduction."

Here's how that math works. Let's say you are single with no dependents, and you have a moderate income. Currently, you get to take the standard deduction ($6,350) and one personal exemption ($4,050). If you are 65 or older, you also get to take an additional standard deduction ($1,250). That adds to $10,400, or $11,650 if you're a senior citizen.

The Republican plan would replace all these provisions with a single deduction of $12,000 ($24,000 for married couples.) That's a 15% increase — except for seniors, who get a 3% increase.

And then your first dollar of taxable income would be subjected to a 12% tax rate, instead of the current 10%. But don't worry, the framework says "additional tax relief," as yet unspecified, will emerge for you during the committee process.
http://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tax-plan-doubled-standard-deduction-2017-9
 
Corporate tax rate will only be 20% when they already pay too little. Many credits get like student loans, children, and mortgages will be stripped away. This is worse for most people.
 

KHarvey16

Member
Corporate tax rate will only be 20% when they already pay too little. Many credits get like student loans, children, and mortgages will be stripped away. This is worse for most people.

Long term a lower corporate rate and eliminating the mortgage interest deduction are actually good things. They need to be paired with other changes to work though.
 
So the cash-flow corporations tax is a non-starter? I only ask because from the perspective of my PhD, i'll need to find a tall tree to hang myself from, if it is.
 
People don’t seem to be understanding that this means you are largely paying the same or slightly worse all the while fucking the northeast + California.
 

ahoyhoy

Unconfirmed Member
So take money away from the middle class in highly taxed states and give it to wealthy investors who don't contribute shit to the economy.

Great.
 
Child credit of 1k each but no personal deductions = net loss of 3k per person smh

Tax credit is different than the personal deduction. The credit comes off the top of your tax bill, a deduction makes less of your income taxable.

Losing a deduction is a loss of X% of the deductible amount, where X is highest applicable marginal rate based on your income.
 

blackflag

Member
"high wage earners" Waiting to see what exactly this means because it might hurt me.

That new standard deduction is weird. Sounds like you save much more if you are single since you can't deduct for your children or am I reading it wrong.
 

TyrantII

Member
So take money away from the middle class in highly taxed states and give it to wealthy investors who don't contribute shit to the economy.

Great.

Pretty much. And drip feed their red state base with bread crumbs. Just enough to keep them alive, so you can continue to blame those blue state elites for all their woes.

It's brilliant. This is the end game they've been planning for 40 years.


"high wage earners" Waiting to see what exactly this means because it might hurt me.

Exactly what it sounds like. If you pull a wage, ie you have a salary, you're screwed.

Investment income is the only thing protected.

Because a bunch of Wallstreet jerkoffs and multinationals sitting on piles of cash are the only true job creators and sole purpose of capitalism. Join their ranks or deal with it pleb.
 

TAJ

Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.
No estate tax? Hello, feudalism.
 

Starviper

Member
Man this would be huge for me. Most of the time I get almost nothing back in taxes; if my deduction doubles i'd get a huge refund if i'm reading this right. Weird.
 
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