These Tax Breaks Are a Big Boost to the Wealthy

Even though the new presidential administration has already made several tax cut promises that would greatly benefit the wealthy, the fact is, high net worth individuals already benefit from several tax breaks that favor the rich. In fact, there are numerous ways that the wealthy can, and are already saving on their tax bill.

Let’s take a look at three of the most tax-friendly laws for high net worth earners currently in the tax code. The Social Security earnings cap is one way the wealthy save on taxes. Because the government caps this tax at $127,200, those who earn $128,000 and those who earn 12 million will pay the same Social Security tax rate. That is a huge savings for the nation’s highest earners, which amounts to $62,000 in savings on every million dollars earned above the cap.

Next up is the capital gains tax rate, which favors the country’s highest earners as well. Because this rate is much lower than the personal income tax rate and most middle-income workers don’t earn their money through capital gains the middle class often pay a higher tax rate than high net worth individuals that earn all their money through capital gains.

Lastly, the mortgage interest deduction also helps the wealthy save on their taxes. Although this tax break clearly helps anyone that carries a mortgage, the wealthy usually receive a much greater benefit because the amount they pay in mortgage interest is typically much higher. Therefore, they receive a much higher deduction amount. Plus, if you don’t have enough itemized deductions to exceed the standard deduction amount you won’t get to claim the mortgage deduction anyways.

https://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/02/25/3-tax-breaks-that-hugely-benefit-the-rich.aspx