How the Wealthy Save on Taxes

Whether you make minimum wage or you’re in the richest 1 percent of earners, every taxpayer likes to keep as much of his or her hard-earned income as possible. There are hundreds of ways to save on taxes and many of these strategies are universal to all taxpayers no matter which tax bracket they fall into. However, there are certain tax-saving tricks that are particularly useful for the wealthy.

One of the most common methods many high net worth individuals use to save on taxes is by using tax-deferred retirement savings plans. Of course, anyone can start a retirement plan, but because the wealthy have more disposable income they can put away large sums of tax-deferred money, which provides a huge boost in the so-called golden years.

Another tax-saving strategy employed by the wealthy is to use offshore companies. By creating companies in foreign countries the wealthy can store more cash reserves away from the high tax rates in the U.S. Although many decry this practice, it is perfectly legal.

While a lot of people complain about the wealthy, the fact is, many of the nation’s top earners are also some of the nation’s biggest givers, as in charitable donations. Donating large sums of money to charity is a great way to help others, as well as save on taxes.

Lastly, the “carried interest” tax is another common strategy employed by the wealthy. This allows investors to save on taxes because they can pay 20 percent less on “carried interest” compared to normal income.

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