Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

Suggested Washington State Wealth Tax Would Have Jeff Bezos Owe $2Bln a Year

Suggested Washington State Wealth Tax Would Have Jeff Bezos Owe $2Bln a Year

The state of Washington recently proposed a wealth tax that would oblige those with over $1 billion to pay 1 percent. According to those behind the bill, the wealth tax would combat inequality in the state's tax laws.

Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon and the man reported to be the second richest person on Earth, would owe $2 billion in state taxes if Washington implements a wealth tax proposed earlier, according to a Tuesday report by CNBC, citing an assessment made by the Tax Foundation think tank.

According to what the Tax Foundation's Jared Walczak told the outlet, Bezos would be accompanied by three other billionaires who call Washington state their home: Bill Gates, MacKenzie Scott and Steve Ballmer. Gates would have to pay $1.3 billion, Scott, a mere $600 million, and Ballmer some $870 million.

Walczak said that the four would constitute 97% of the proposed wealth tax. However, there is an easy way for them to avoid it.

Having no day-to-day corporate roles in the state, the billionaires could switch their permanent residence to another place and still spend up to 182 days in the state of Washington. This move, according to Walczak, could harm the economy instead of what was initially planned as a move to combat tax inequality.

“This would not only foil the wealth tax but would deprive the state of other revenue as well,” Walczak said. “These wealthy residents still pay a disproportionate share of state and local taxes and contribute substantially to the local economy. Chasing them out would have serious consequences beyond the failure of a new tax.”

The initial goal of the wealth tax bill, according to State Representative Noel Frame, who introduced it, is to balance the "entirely inequitable" tax code, where, according to Frame, the lowest earners pay 18% of their income in state taxes, while the top 1% pay only 6%.

Frame dismissed the idea of billionaires avoiding taxes by switching their residence.

“The idea that they will just pick up and leave is a cynical view and it’s not supported by evidence,” Frame said, referring to studies showing that increase in taxes did not cause escalation in migration of the wealthy.

Bezos announced last week that he would step down as the CEO of the Amazon retail company - the firm that largely provided him his wealth - and transition into the role of executive chairman.

Said to be the second-richest person in the world, Bezos is second only to Tesla and SpaceX CEO, Elon Musk.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Emails Leaked: How Passenger Luggage Became a Side Income for Airport Workers
Polish MEP: “Dear Leftists - China is laughing at you, Russia is laughing, India is laughing”
Western Europe Records Hottest June on Record
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
China’s Central Bank Consults European Peers on Low-Rate Strategies
France Requests Airlines to Cut Flights at Paris Airports Amid Planned Air Traffic Controller Strike
Poland Implements Border Checks Amid Growing Migration Tensions
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Amazon Reaches Milestone with Deployment of One Millionth Robot
Yulia Putintseva Calls for Spectator Ejection at Wimbledon Over Safety Concerns
House Oversight Committee Subpoenas Former Jill Biden Aide Amid Investigation into Alleged Concealment of President Biden's Cognitive Health
Amazon Reaches Major Automation Milestone with Over One Million Robots
Extreme Heat Wave Sweeps Across Europe, Hitting Record Temperatures
Meta Announces Formation of Ambitious AI Unit, Meta Superintelligence Labs
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Hungary's Prime Minister Criticizes NATO's Role in Ukraine
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Hungarian Scientist to Conduct 30 Research Experiments on the International Space Station
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
International Astronaut Team Launched to Space Station
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
Oil Prices Set to Surge After US Strikes Iran
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Telegram Founder: I Will Leave My Fortune to Over 100 of My Children
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
×