Voters in Multiple States Choose Higher Taxes for the Wealthy

shutterstock_253684528-converted

 

Of course, the big news from the election earlier this month was that Donald Trump shocked the world and defeated Hillary Clinton in the race to become the 45th president of the United States. However, there were several other important national, as well as local, election races and issues that were decided on November 8th. Not the least of which were several state measures aimed at raising taxes on high net worth individuals.

To that end, voters in both California and Maine decided that the rich needed to pay more taxes. In Maine, the vote to raise the state’s top tax rate from 7.15 percent to 10.15 percent was extremely close, passing by a narrow 50.4 percent to 49.6 percent margin. That means Maine will have the second highest top tax rate in the country in 2017, surpassing Oregon, which was number two in 2016 at 9.9 percent.

In California, meanwhile, the vote wasn’t even close, with 62 percent voting to extend temporary tax hikes already in place. Proposition 55 extended the hikes originally implemented in 2012 with Proposition 30. That means top earners, those who make $1 million or more a year, will continue to pay a tax rate of 13.3 percent at least until 2030. California will continue to have the highest tax rate for top earners in 2017.

So, while all signs point to Donald Trump lowering the federal tax rates, if you live in California or Maine and you’re a top earner, you won’t see any relief in the coming years in your state taxes.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ashleaebeling/2016/11/10/voters-okay-state-income-tax-hikes-for-the-rich/#71480a7b16d0

Posted in
7 Leadership Traits

Which Tax Breaks Help High Net Worth Taxpayers the Most?

It’s no secret that the United States government generally taxes high net worth individuals at a much higher clip than those in the lower- and middle-income brackets. However, despite that fact, there are still many provisions in the tax system, if used properly, can help wealthy earners save on their taxes. So what are some…

Tax Preparers Get Busted for Fraudulent Practices

Every tax season is full of stories and tales of people who go to great lengths to avoid paying taxes. In addition there are dozens of reports of unscrupulous tax preparers that get caught trying to cheat the system: either their clients or the IRS, or both. We want to share a few of those…

Entrepreneur Think Deductions, Deductions, Deductions!

Are you an entrepreneur looking for a tax break? Entrepreneurs have a lot on their plate, including living with the financial risk of their entrepreneurial efforts. That’s why it’s so important for any entrepreneur to be aware of any and all deductions come tax time. There are dozens of deductions to be had, but the…

Late Obamacare Forms Could Be Big Problem for Taxpayers

While you may or may not like Obamacare, the fact is the president’s health care plan has caused problems at tax time since its inception. Apparently, this year is no different. According to a recent report, because of a delay in new tax forms for the health law this year, many taxpayers are facing more…