NBA Stars Losing Hefty Amounts of Their Salary to the Taxman

Bankrupt

Just about everyone knows that professional athletes make a ton of money. Whether you agree with athlete salaries or not, the fact is those hefty numbers you always see reported when an athlete signs a new deal aren’t really all that they’re cut out to be. Oh sure, they are making a lot of money, but they are also paying quite a large tax bill. In some cases, that bill can put a huge dent in their actual earnings.

According to a new report, when determining whom the highest paid NBA player is, it depends on which numbers you use. Kobe Bryant earns more than any other NBA player, coming in with a salary of $23 million this year. However, if you look at his tax bill, which is estimated at $11.4 million, then his actual take home pay is only $12.1 million. That means he is paying close to half of his salary to the taxman.

Several factors played a role in determining these tax numbers, including where a player lives, and where he plays both his home and road games. Road games play a big role in the equation because some cities enforce the so-called “jock-tax” on individuals who come to the area to work. Pro athletes schedules are easy to track, so these cities can easily implement this tax.

There’s no question that NBA players are well compensated for their services, but remember, most players are giving a huge percentage of their income back in taxes, thus reducing how much they actually take home by a large portion. Of course, these tax numbers are an estimate and there are certain measures these players can take to help reduce their tax bill. So they might be able to take more home than estimated.

Likewise, if you need help finding the all of the best ways to save on your tax bill, then contact. GROCO today.

Posted in ,

First Half of Current Fiscal Year a Record-Breaker for U.S. Treasury

It’s been another record year for the federal government so far, which is in the midst of its current fiscal year. At the end of March, when the government reached its halfway point of the 2016 fiscal year, it had already collected $1.48 trillion. One might think that this massive haul would help ease the…

Why Is Almost Half the Country Paying no Federal Income Tax?

One of the biggest tax debates that will likely always exist is whether or not the nation’s wealthy are paying enough in taxes? It’s easy for some to argue that they don’t but there are many factors that must be considered. Plus, all the while, nearly half of the country’s would-be taxpayers don’t actually pay…

Where Is Your Paycheck Going?

While many of the nation’s high net-worth individuals make much of their income through capital gains, those who still collect a paycheck are doling out of cash to the IRS every time they get paid. The same is true for all taxpayers no matter what income level they fall in. In fact, according to a…

Should the IRS File Your Taxes for You?

Imagine a world where you didn’t have to file your own taxes. Of course, you can use an experienced and professional tax and accounting firm like GROCO to do your taxes for you, but what if you didn’t even have to send your tax return information to an accountant? Could that ever really happen? In…