IRS to Put an End to Its Top 400 Report

shutterstock_245503636

 

Many people believe that the nation’s wealthiest individuals already make too much money without paying their fair share of taxes. Now that billionaire Donald Trump has been elected as our country’s next president, many expect that to only get worse. However, starting next year, it will now be very difficult for anyone to really know how much of a difference Trump’s new tax policies will make to the nation’s top earners.

That’s because the IRS recently announced that it would no longer continue to release its Top 400 Report, which is an annual statistical report of the top 400 taxpayers in the country, according to adjusted gross income. This year’s report, which for now will be the last, showed just how hard the current president’s tax hikes have hit the wealthiest taxpayers over the past several years.

In 2012, the top 400 paid an effective tax rate of 16.72 percent on average adjusted gross income of $226 million. Compare that to 2014 when the same group paid an effective federal tax rate of 23.13 percent on AGI averaging $318 million. If Trump’s tax proposals are put into law then the top 400 are likely to see their effective tax rate go back down again, but now that the IRS will no longer be releasing this report, there is no way to know by exactly how much.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/janetnovack/2016/12/01/how-much-will-trump-cut-taxes-for-top-400-well-never-know-as-irs-ends-400-report/#1acdd9db1795

Posted in

Tax Exemption Legislation Could Be Good News for Political Donors

The Republican lead Congress recently passed some new legislation – without garnering much attention at all – that could be a big boon for major donors of political organizations and groups. The bill could protect big donors from having to pay gift taxes on their large donations to these political groups. The bill, which is…

To Extend or Not to Extend, That Is the Question?

Have you looked at your calendar yet today? Have you noticed that April 15 has already come and gone? Of course, it’s pretty hard to miss tax day, but some people actually do. So should you file an extension now if you didn’t make it on time? Some people believe filing an extension is a…

What Do You Do When You Owe Taxes But Don’t Have the Funds?

For many people tax season brings the joy of a nice big refund to go out and splurge on something they’ve had your eye on for a long time. On the flip side of the equation are those people who surprisingly, or not, end up owing the IRS money. Not only do these people miss…

Startups Should Pay Heed to These Tax Tips

Tax season us winding down and there’s a good chance that most businesses have already filed their tax returns. If you’re a business owner and you still haven’t filed then contact us right away to get it done. In any case, now is a good time to review some tax tips for businesses, especially for…