Unstable Stock Market Could Hurt State Tax Budgets
While many feel the wealthy should be paying more in taxes, the efforts to enforce this strategy does have some consequences for state budgets. Many of the country’s wealthiest individuals hold the majority of their wealth in stocks. That means when the stock market goes down, so do the tax payments of the wealthy.
In fact, several states are currently feeling a pinch in their budgets thanks to the less than favorable conditions of the market. For example, Connecticut governor Dannel Malloy announced budget cuts late last year blaming the stock market’s lackluster performance. Budget analysts expect at least a $200 million deficit, and the governor has already announced several cutbacks.
Meanwhile, in California, the state is also expecting less revenue from capital gains this year and in New York lawmakers have been told to lower their expectations for the state’s upcoming fiscal year. While not all states are affected by the stock market, those that count many of the wealthiest individuals as residents can be hurt dramatically when the stock market takes a downturn.
Another sign that higher taxes could be hurting states’ budgets is happening in Connecticut where some lawmakers believe that many of the state’s wealthiest individuals are moving to other states in order to avoid Connecticut’s high tax rates on the wealthy. With so many high net earners in the state being affected by new efforts to raise taxes on the wealthy, the state’s budget is taking an even greater hit.
Should University Donations Trigger Tax Breaks for the Wealthy?
Universities big and small receive donations from many different sources, including wealthy alumni. However, not all donations are created equal and because the wealthy donors get a huge tax break for their significant donations, some wonder if that is really fair. For example, Nike co-founder, Phil Knight, recently donated $400 million to Stanford, where he…
Money-Saving Tips for Freelancers
When you hear the term freelancer, you might think of someone working a small business out of his or her home and just doing things on the fly. However, freelancers come in all forms and many owners of small businesses or startups are also freelancers. Being a freelancer means you are self-employed and being self-employed…
Who Really Qualifies as a Dependent for Taxes?
How many dependents do you really have? Who can really be counted as a dependent? These are some of the most common questions that all taxpayers have. Can you count all of your children, live-in help, or perhaps a dog or other family pet? What about a friend who decides to crash at your place…
Obama Looking to Stick the Wealthy With Even More Taxes
His second term in office is winding down, but President Obama would still like to raise taxes on high net worth individuals before he checks out of the White House at the beginning of next year. Although the president has already taken several measures to raise the effective tax rate on the wealthy, he is…