How the Republican Tax Cuts Are Helping Idaho

Posted by John Kartch on Sunday, June 27th, 2021, 4:10 PM PERMALINK Follow @johnkartch

Idaho is benefiting greatly from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act enacted by Republicans in 2017:

140,670 Idaho households are benefiting from the TCJA’s doubling of the child tax credit.

Every income group received a tax cut. Nationwide, a typical family of four received a $2,000 annual tax cut and a single parent with one child received a $1,300 annual tax cut.

539,500 Idaho households are benefiting from the TCJA’s doubling of the standard deduction. Thanks to the tax cuts, nine out of ten households take the standard deduction which provides tax relief and simplifies the tax filing process.

31,460 Idaho households are benefiting from the TCJA’s elimination of the Obamacare individual mandate tax. Most households hit with this tax made less than $50,000 per year.

Lower utility bills: As a direct result of the TCJA’s corporate tax rate cut, Idaho residents are saving money on utility bills. Lower electric, water, and gas bills help households and small businesses operating on tight margins. For example, at least five Idaho utilities reduced their customers' bills (see below).

Thanks to the tax cuts, Idaho businesses of all sizes are hiring, expanding, raising pay and increasing employee benefits:

2nd South Market (Twin Falls, Idaho) -- A food hall is opening because of the TCJA Opportunity Zone program, and is slated to create new jobs:

One of the nation’s fastest-growing trends, food halls, is coming to Twin Falls. 2nd South Market, slated to open this summer, will be housed in the historic 1926 downtown Twin Falls building formerly occupied by the Salvation Army. 2ndSouth Market will be the first Opportunity Zone project to open in Idaho and the state’s third Opportunity Zone investment.

Opportunity Zones were established in the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to encourage long-term investment in low-income communities through tax breaks.

Kelsar Property owners Dave and Lisa Buddecke are gutting and remodeling the 94-year-old building to expose original wood ceilings/trusses, windows and doors. At Second Avenue South and Hansen Street, the 13,000-square-foot indoor area will house several food vendors in a large open space concept. The 14,700-square-foot outdoor fenced space will be open during summer and fall for additional outdoor seating, private events, open-air markets and corn hole games. A stage is planned for live music and other amenities. -- February 27, 2020 Twin Falls Times-News article

Telaya Winery (Boise, Idaho) -- The winery hired more employees and improved its marketing because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.

At Boise’s Telaya Winery, grapes are sorted by hand onto a conveyor belt heading to the destemmer. Owner Earl Sullivan said the big bunches of fruit need to be pulled apart or they can explode in the machine.

“It’s a product of the freeze we just had a couple days ago,” he said, “We’re just having to work a little bit harder to make sure the fruit is as clean as we want it.”

Sullivan is also the chair of the Idaho Wine Commission Board. Today’s grapes are processed and barreled for aging, but won’t be bottled and taxed as wine for two years. That delay can make tax law changes difficult to prepare for.

“We spend several hundred thousand dollars per year on production for two years down the road, so the most likely impact in the short term would be a reduction in production,” Sullivan said. He also noted the winery has beefed up its hiring and marketing in the last two years while the tax rates have been lower. -- Oct. 22, 2019 Boise State Public Radio

Melaleuca (Idaho Falls, Idaho) – All 2,000 employees received a $100 bonus for each year they have worked at the company:

“We’re going to be able to have quite a few substantial dollars after taxes,”[CEO Frank] VanderSloot said. “I suspect we’re one of the largest taxpayers in the state, so we’re going to have some more dollars to spread around. That money should go to the people who built the company.” – Dec. 21, 2017 Associated Press article excerpt

Colling Pest Solutions (Idaho Falls) -- Tax reform bonuses for employees:

Representatives from an Idaho Falls-based pest control and lawn care company are traveling to Washington, D.C., this week to meet with President Donald Trump after the company gave its employees bonuses after Congress enacted tax cuts.

Colling Pest Solutions is sending six employees, including its owner, to the “American Workers for Tax Reform” event scheduled for Thursday afternoon at the White House.

The event recognizes small businesses throughout the country that have used tax cuts to benefit employees, whether through salary hikes or additional benefits. The company is paying for the employee’s travel to the event.

Over the past year, employees at Colling Pest Solutions have seen an 8 percent quarterly bonus due to anticipated benefits from recent tax cut legislation. Eligible employees also can receive child care assistance, where the company will pay 50 percent of costs for parents at a local child care center.

Tim Colling, owner of Colling Pest Solutions, believes it is his duty as an employer to pay added income from the business forward to his employees in order to maintain a competitive workforce. And he proposes other small businesses follow his company’s lead. -- April 9, 2018 Post-Register article excerpt

Ball Ventures (Idaho Falls, Idaho) - $100 bonuses for every year of employment.

DePatco, Inc. (St. Anthony, Idaho) - Tax reform bonuses for employees.

Mother Earth Brewing Company (Nampa, Idaho) -- The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act allowed the brewery to almost double their production, buy new equipment, and hire new employees:

Even the largest Idaho craft brewery has a fraction of that productivity. Mother Earth's Idaho brewery (the company has a second location in California) produced 10,000 barrels in 2018, the first year of the tax cut. This year, the brewery expects to produce 18,000 barrels, according to owner Daniel Love.

….

Mother Earth hired two new employees and bought two Unitanks, stainless steel fermenters, with the tax savings. -- Oct. 19, 2019 Idaho Press Article

Wigle Distillery (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) -- The distillery was able to save houndreds of thousands of dollars because of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and was also able to hire three new distillers:

The Craft Beverage Modernization and Tax Reform Act reduced the excise tax rate on distilled spirits from $13.50 to $2.70 for the first 100,000 proof gallons per year, with smaller cuts to taxes on beer and wine.

“The tax relief, it’s well into the six figures for us,” said Meredith Meyer Grelli, co-owner at Wigle Distillery and Threadbare Cider & Mead in Pittsburgh. “Every dollar goes back into the business. And I think every small-business owner in the world can relate to that.”

Pittsburgh’s Wigle Whiskey Distillery produces a variety of small-batch whiskeys at its Strip District distillery. The 2017 tax relief allowed the business to immediately hire three distillers, Grelli said.

“It takes a year to train a new distiller, for them to be fully independent, safely operating a still,” she said. “So for every new distiller we bring on, we’re investing a year into them. If this tax relief went away and our taxes did go up 400%, we couldn’t grow our labor force in the same way. And we’d have to be much more careful about how we hired, because it is such a risk.” -- February 1, 2020 Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article

Idaho Power (Boise, Idaho) – The utility is passing along tax savings to customers:

On April 12, 2018, Idaho Power Company filed a Settlement Stipulation and Motion to Approve Settlement Stipulation. The Company, Commission Staff, and the Industrial Customers of Idaho Power signed the Settlement Stipulation to enable Idaho Power to provide its customers with approximately $33.9 million in benefits under a new tax law that decreased the Company's corporate tax rate and expenses. - April 23, 2018, Idaho Public Utility Commission document

Intermountain Gas (Boise, Idaho) – The utility is passing along tax savings to customers:

On December 22,2017, the President signed into law the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 ("TCJA"). Effective January 1,2018, the TCJA decreased the federal corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent. In response, the Commission opened this multi-utility case to investigate whether to adjust the rates of certain utilities that benefit from the reduced tax rate. See Order No. 33965. The Commission directed all affected utilities-including the Company-to immediately account for the tax benefits as a regulatory liability, and to report on how the tax changes affected them, and how resulting benefits could be passed on to customers. See id. at l-2.

The Company filed its report on March 23,2018. In its report, the Company proposed using the 2016 test year from its last rate case (NT-G-16-02) to calculate the benefits from the TCJA. Using a2016 test year would have resulted in a $4,966,895 rate decrease.

A settlement conference was held at the Commission offices on May 7,2018. Representatives of Intermountain, Alliance of Western Energy Consumers, and Commission Staff (collectively, the "Parties") attended this meeting. Through discussions and compromise, the Parties agreed to the proposed Settlement Stipulation.

On May 10, 2018, Intermountain filed Settlement Stipulation, which was signed by all Parties. The Settlement Stipulation, if approved, would result in the Company returning to customers, S5,111,303 of tax benefits the Company has realized under the TCJA, on a 2017 normalized basis. Furthermore, the deferred liability on the Company's books would be credited back to customers as part of the Company's next Purchased Gas Cost Adjustment ("PGA"). - May 22, 2018 Idaho Public Utility Commission document

Suez Water Idaho Inc. (Paramus, New Jersey) – The utility is passing along tax savings to customers:

The Company filed its report on March 29,2018. In it, the Company proposes to reduce base rates by $2,722,791, or about 5.60A, to account for the reduction in corporate tax rates and associated changes to the revenue conversion factor. The Company has hired an outside consulting firm to assist in a detailed review of its income tax records in order to verify the balances of the regulatory liabilities subject to normalization (plant-related) as well as deferred tax liabilities that are unprotected (non plant-related). Thus, the Company did not propose any changes related to revaluing or amortizing deferred tax liabilities, preferring to wait to address the deferred tax liabilities in a general rate case, after the detailed review has been completed. - May 22, 2018 Idaho Public Utility Commission document

Avista (Spokane, Washington) – The utility is passing along tax savings to customers:

The Parties agree that Avista will reduce its Idaho base rates by $ 13.74 million (5 3%) for electric service, and $2.556 million (61%) for natural gas service. The Company will return these amounts to customers through Tariff Schedules 72 (electric) and 172 (natural gas) until the next general rate case when the tax benefits will be incorporated into base rates. The Parties agree to spread these permanent tax benefits (rate credits) on a uniform percent of base revenue basis for both electric and natural gas. The rate credit within each service schedule will be a uniform cents per kWh (electric) and therm (natural gas) to the volumetric block rates by schedule. The monthly service charge for each schedule will remain unchanged. Staff supports this method of rate spread and rate design because it generally matches how costs are being recovered from customers.

The permanent reduction consists to two components, the tax rate change and the excess accumulated deferred federal income tax (ADFIT) amortization. - May 11, 2018 Idaho Public Utility Commission document

Rocky Mountain Power (Portland, Oregon) – The utility is passing along tax savings to customers:

State regulators have approved a rate decrease for customers of Rocky Mountain Power, reflecting the benefits of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 and changes to the corporate income tax rate at the state level.

The Idaho Public Utilities Commission’s decision reduces rates by about 1 percent.

The change took effect June 1 and is the result of a Commission decision in January that ordered all utilities to report the impact of the tax law.

A main feature of the tax law that took effect Jan. 1 was to reduce the federal corporate tax rate from 35 percent to 21 percent. Shortly thereafter, Idaho Governor C.L. “Butch” Otter signed into law House Bill 463, reducing the state’s corporate tax rate from 7.4 percent to 6.925 percent. - June 15, 2018 Idaho Public Utility Commission document

AT&T -- $1,000 bonuses for 937 Idaho employees. Nationwide, $1 billion increase in capital expenditures:

Today, Congress approved legislation representing the first comprehensive tax reform in a generation. The President is expected to sign the bill in the coming days.

Once tax reform is signed into law, AT&T* plans to invest an additional $1 billion in the United States in 2018 and pay a special $1,000 bonus to more than 200,000 AT&T U.S. employees — all union-represented, non-management and front-line managers. If the President signs the bill before Christmas, employees will receive the bonus over the holidays.

“Congress, working closely with the President, took a monumental step to bring taxes paid by U.S. businesses in line with the rest of the industrialized world,” said Randall Stephenson, AT&T chairman and CEO. “This tax reform will drive economic growth and create good-paying jobs. In fact, we will increase our U.S. investment and pay a special bonus to our U.S. employees.”

Since 2012, AT&T has invested more in the United States than any other public company. Every $1 billion in capital invested in the telecom industry creates about 7,000 jobs for American workers, research shows. -- Dec. 20, 2017 AT&T Inc. press release

Walmart – Idaho employees at 26 Walmart stores received tax reform bonuses, wage increases, and expanded maternity and parental leave. Walmart employees who adopt children will be given $5,000 to help cover expenses.

Home Depot -- 11 locations in Idaho: Idaho Falls, Meridian, Chubbock, Twin Falls, Coeur d'Alene, Eagle, Lewiston, Nampa, Ponderay, and two in Boise -- Bonuses for all hourly employees, up to $1,000.

Lowe's --1,000+ employees at eight store locations in Idaho: Idaho Falls, Boise, Coeur d'Alene, Twin Falls, Nampa, Pocatello, and two in Meridian -- Employees will receive bonuses of up to $1,000 based on length of service, for 260,000 employees; expanded benefits and maternity/parental leave; $5,000 of adoption assistance.

Ryder (Boise, Idaho) – Tax reform bonuses for employees.

Best Buy -- Six locations in Idaho: Nampa, Idaho Falls, Twin Falls, Coeur d'Alene, and two in Boise -- $1,000 bonuses for full-time employees; $500 bonuses for part-time employees.

Cintas (Locations in Twin Falls and Nampa) -- $1,000 bonuses for employees of at least a year, $500 for employees of less than a year.

Taco John’s (Grangeville, Lewiston, Meridian, Mountain Home, Twin Falls): All full-time and part-time crew members received a $200 after-tax bonus:

Taco John’s International, Inc. announced today that in response to the 2018 Tax Cut and Jobs Act, the company gave part of its projected tax savings to its restaurant crews, general managers, corporate staff and CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees).

On Friday, Feb. 23, Taco John’s International, Inc.’s employees received a one-time bonus, as follows:

Every restaurant crew member - full-time and part-time - received $200 (after taxes);
General managers and employees at the Taco John’s Franchisee Support Center in Cheyenne received $1,000 each; and,
The Executive Council of Taco John’s International, Inc. (Vice Presidents and above) donated their $1,000 bonuses (a total of $10,000) to CORE, a national not-for-profit organization that grants support to children of food and beverage service employees who are navigating life-altering circumstances.

“At Taco John’s International, our team is our family, so sharing the financial benefits that were a result of the recent tax reform legislation only makes sense,” said Jim Creel, CEO of Taco John’s International, Inc. “We encourage other restaurant brands to follow our example and give a portion of their savings to the people that are at the heart of what we do and to great organizations like CORE that support our crew. One hundred percent of CORE’s funds directly benefit children of restaurant employees who have been afflicted with life-threating conditions.”

“We are so grateful to the Taco John’s team for their generous donation to our CORE family members,” said Lauren LaViola, executive director of CORE. “Donations like theirs help us provide for our food and beverage service families experiencing loss, illness and other life-changing circumstances, and help us get closer to our goal of helping even more families across all 50 states in 2018.”

The total amount that Taco John’s International, Inc. gave exceeded $150,000.00. – Feb. 28, 2018 Taco John’s International, Inc. press release

Waste Management Inc. (Multiple locations in Idaho) -- $2,000 bonuses:

In light of the meaningful contributions of its employees and the new U.S. corporate tax structure, the company will distribute US $2,000 in 2018 to every North American employee not on a bonus or sales incentive plan; that includes hourly and other employees.

“We are about to get a tax benefit as our U.S. corporate tax rate goes from 35 percent to 21 percent. In considering how to best spend that, we wanted to find a way to help grow our economy, which in turn, will help grow our business, and give some of the tax savings back to those hardworking employees who do not get the opportunity to participate in our salaried incentive plans,” said Jim Fish, president and chief executive officer, Waste Management.

“So, we are offering each North American hourly full-time employee and salaried employee who does not participate in any sales incentive or bonus plan during 2018, a cash bonus of US $2,000 to show our appreciation to so many of our valued employees while growing our business and returning a good portion of the tax savings directly to the overall economy,” he continued. – Jan. 10 2018, Waste Management Inc. press release excerpt

Chipotle Mexican Grill (Chubbock, Nampa, Meridian, Twin Falls, Coeur d'Alene, and three in Boise) – Bonuses ranging from $250 to $1,000; increased employee benefits; $50 million investment in existing restaurants.

Comcast (Multiple locations in Idaho) -- $1,000 bonuses; nationwide, at least $50 billion investment in infrastructure in next five years.

Starbucks Coffee Company (67 locations in Idaho) – $500 stock grants for all retail employees, $2,000 stock grants for store managers, and varying plan and support center employee stock grants. Nationally, 8,000 new retail jobs; an additional wage increase this year, totaling approximately $120 million in wage increases, increased sick time benefits and parental leave.

T.J. Maxx – (Seven locations in Idaho: Boise, Coeur d'Alene, Idaho Falls, Lewiston, Nampa, Pocatello, Twin Falls) – Tax reform bonuses, retirement plan contributions, parental leave, enhanced vacation benefits, and increased charitable donations:

The 2017 Tax Act benefited the Company in the fourth quarter and full year Fiscal 2018. The Company expects to continue to benefit from the 2017 Tax Act going forward, primarily due to the lower U.S. corporate income tax rate. As a result of the estimated cash benefit related to the 2017 Tax Act, the Company is taking the following actions:

Associates

A one-time, discretionary bonus to eligible, non-bonus-plan Associates, globally
An incremental contribution to the Company’s defined contribution retirement plans for eligible Associates in the U.S. and internationally
Instituting paid parental leave for eligible Associates in the U.S.
Enhancing vacation benefits for certain U.S. Associates

Communities

Made meaningful contributions to TJX’s charitable foundations around the world to further support TJX’s charitable giving – Feb. 28, 2018 The TJX Companies Inc. press release excerpt

U-Haul (Multiple locations in Idaho) – $1,200 bonuses for full-time employees, $500 for part-time employees.

Dollar Tree, Inc. (Blackfoot, Boise, Burley, Caldwell, Chubbock, Coeur d'Alene, Eagle, Emmett, Idaho Falls, Jerome, Kuna, Lewiston, Meridian, Moscow, Mountain Home, Nampa, Oldtown, Payette, Pocatello, Ponderay, Post Falls, Rathdrum, Rexburg, Twin Falls) -- Increased base wages, enhanced benefits including maternity leave for qualifying employees and employee training, totaling $100 million nationwide.

Bank of America (Post Falls and Coeur d'Alene) -- $1,000 bonuses.

FedEx (Multiple locations in Idaho) – Accelerated and increased compensation; pension plan contributions:

FedEx Corporation is announcing three major programs today following the recently enacted U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act:

Over $200 million in increased compensation, about two-thirds of which will go to hourly team members by advancing 2018 annual pay increases by six months to April 1st from the normal October date. The remainder will fund increases in performance- based incentive plans for salaried personnel.
A voluntary contribution of $1.5 billion to the FedEx pension plan to ensure it remains one of the best funded retirement programs in the country.
Investing $1.5 billion to significantly expand the FedEx Express Indianapolis hub over the next seven years. The Memphis SuperHub will also be modernized and enlarged in a major program the details of which will be announced later this spring.

FedEx believes the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act will likely increase GDP and investment in the United States. -- Jan. 26 2018, FedEx press release

Gardner Company (Boise, Idaho) - Tax reform bonuses for employees.

GetFoundFirst.com (Idaho) - Tax reform bonuses for employees.

EastIdahoNews.com (Idaho Falls, Idaho) - Tax reform bonuses for employees.

Elite Roofing Systems (Idaho Falls, Idaho) - Tax reform bonuses for employees.

InUnison Inc. (Idaho Falls, Idaho) - Tax reform bonuses for employees.

Elite Clinical Trials, Inc. (Blackfoot, Idaho) - Tax reform bonuses for employees.

Willow Creek Woodworks (Idaho Falls, Idaho) - Tax reform bonuses for employees.

Eagle Ridge Ranch (Island Park, Idaho) - Tax reform bonuses for employees.

McDonald’s (60+ locations in Idaho) – Increased tuition investments which will provide educational program access for 400,000 U.S. employees. $2,500 per year (up from $700) for crew working 15 hours a week, $3,000 (up from $1,050) for managers, and more:

McDonald’s Corporation today announced it will allocate $150 million over five years to its global Archways to Opportunity education program. This investment will provide almost 400,000 U.S. restaurant employees with accessibility to the program as the company will also lower eligibility requirements from nine months to 90 days of employment and drop weekly shift minimums from 20 hours to 15 hours. Additionally, McDonald’s will also extend some education benefits to restaurant employees’ family members. These enhancements underscore McDonald’s and its independent franchisees’ commitment to providing jobs that fit around the lives of restaurant employees so they may pursue their education and career ambitions.

The Archways to Opportunity program provides eligible U.S. employees an opportunity to earn a high school diploma, receive upfront college tuition assistance, access free education advising services and learn English as a second language.

“Our commitment to education reinforces our ongoing support of the people who play a crucial role in our journey to build a better McDonald’s,” said Steve Easterbrook, McDonald’s President and CEO. “By offering restaurant employees more opportunities to further their education and pursue their career aspirations, we are helping them find their full potential, whether that’s at McDonald’s or elsewhere.”

Accelerated by changes in the U.S. tax law, McDonald’s increased investment in the Archways to Opportunity Program includes:

Increased Tuition Investment:
- Crew: Eligible crew will have access to $2,500/year, up from $700/year.
- Managers: Eligible Managers will have access to $3,000/year, up from $1,050.
- Participants have a choice for how they apply this funding – whether it be to a community college, four year university or trade school. There is no lifetime cap on tuition assistance – restaurant employees will be able to pursue their education and career passions at their own pace. The new tuition assistance is effective May 1, 2018 and retroactive to January 1, 2018.
Lowered Eligibility Requirements: Increase access to the program by lowering eligibility requirements from nine months to 90 days of employment. In addition, dropping from 20 hours minimum to 15 hours minimum (roughly two full time shifts) per week to enable restaurant employees more time to focus on studies.
Extended Services to Families: Extension of Career Online High School and College Advisory services to restaurant employees’ family members through existing educational partners Cengage and Council for Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL).
Additional Resources: Career exploration resources for eligible restaurant employees to be available later this year.
Creation of an International Education Fund: Grants to provide local initiatives and incentives in global markets to further education advancement programs.

“Since its inception, Archways to Opportunity was meant to match the ambition and drive of restaurant crew with the means and network to help them find success on their own terms,” said David Fairhurst, McDonald’s Chief People Officer. “By tripling tuition assistance, adding education benefits for family members and lowering eligibility requirements to the equivalent of a summer job, we are sending a signal that if you come work at your local McDonald’s, we’ll invest in your future.”

After launching in the U.S. in 2015, Archways to Opportunity has increased access to education for over 24,000 people and awarded over $21 million in high school and college tuition assistance. Graduates have received college degrees in Business Administration, Human Resources, Communications, Accounting, Microbiology and more. – March 29, 2018 McDonald’s Corporation press release excerpt

Wells Fargo (76 locations in Idaho) - Raised base wage from $13.50 to $15.00 per hour; $400 million in charitable donations for 2018; $100 million increased capital investment over the next three years.

Note: If you know of other Idaho examples, please email John Kartch at jkartch@atr.org

The running nationwide list of companies can be found at www.atr.org/list

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Biden Nominates Left-Wing Extremist to head OCC

Posted by Bryan Bashur on Monday, September 27th, 2021, 5:00 PM PERMALINK

Last week, President Biden nominated a Cornell University law professor who was educated in the Soviet Union to lead the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).

Saule Omarova, a graduate of Moscow State University and a recipient of the Lenin Personal Academic Scholarship, should raise eyebrows in the Senate.

If Omarova is confirmed to the position, she will be able to serve a five-year term as comptroller of the currency. As comptroller, Omarova would head the bureau that “charters, regulates, and supervises all national banks, federal savings associations, and federal branches and agencies of foreign banks.”

On her resume, Omarova states that she was a senior fellow at the Berggruen Institute from 2020-2021. The think tank was founded by Nicholas Bergguren, a self-proclaimed Marxist, and has a history of promoting Chinese communist propaganda in the news.

Omarova will also undoubtedly expand the size, scope, and authority of the OCC to the limit.

She would use her role to push “equity” policies that increase the federal government’s footprint in the market. Most notably, Omarova has advocated for the Federal Reserve to provide deposits and lending for individuals in the country—crowding out any private banking opportunities in the United States. Omarova has explicitly stated her support for replacing private bank deposits with the Federal Reserve in the name of “equity.” Omarova says that, “the ultimate ‘end-state’” in her writing is where “FedAccounts fully replace—rather than compete with—private bank deposits.” This would be a total overhaul of the banking system in the United States. Effectively eliminating all free market competition in the banking system.

Omarova has also expressed the need to continue to assert strong government authority when administering bank charters. In an article from 2015, she and her coauthor opined, “whether it might be time to bridge the gulf between banking and general corporate regulatory regimes – not by making access to bank charters ‘free and easy,’ but by making access to corporate privileges once again expressly conditional on the delivery of public benefits.” No doubt, Omarova has no intention of promoting free market ideologies when regulating federally chartered banks, but instead will likely implement policies to make it harder for banks to conduct business and thus restrict access to capital across the country.

Omarova is not shy about expanding the size of the federal government to prop up every industry in the United States. For example, in an article she wrote in April of 2020, Omarova stated the need for a new permanent federal agency to bail out companies during crises. Omarova states that “Having a permanent institutional platform for coordinating the national crisis response, including bailouts of private companies, would help to ensure that these emergency measures are executed in an efficient, transparent, and democratically accountable, and socially just manner.” Omarova calls this agency the National Investment Authority. She envisions this new centralized investment juggernaut to “act directly in financial markets as a lender, guarantor, securitizer, and venture capitalist with a broad mandate to mobilize, amplify, and direct public and private capital to where it’s needed most.” So, the federal government gets to decide where capital should be allocated, not private banks who actually have shareholders that hold them accountable.

Finally, Omarova is critical of cryptocurrencies. In an article Omarova wrote for the Harvard Law School Forum on Corporate Governance, she claims that cryptocurrencies contribute to financial instability, fail to produce “activity in the real economy,” and “fuel financial speculation on an unprecedented scale.” In light of her opinions on cryptocurrencies, it is unlikely that Omarova would be supportive of potential proposals to engender greater collaboration or partnerships between fintechs and national banks.

When Omarova appears before the Senate Banking Committee for her nomination hearing, senators should ask her hard questions. The Senate needs to avoid confirming someone to the helm of the OCC that will restructure the national banking system to reflect that of a totalitarian regime.

Photo Credit: "United States Capitol" by Phil Roeder is licensed under CC BY 2.0

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Posted by Isabelle Morales on Monday, September 27th, 2021, 4:30 PM PERMALINK Follow @IsabelleAliciaa

President Biden constantly accuses others of not “paying their fair share” of taxes and even claims tax increases are “patriotic.” But Biden himself could owe up to $500,000 in unpaid taxes, according to a new report by the Congressional Research Service, published in the New York Post.

It is time for Biden to close his personal tax gap. Even the progressive Tax Policy Center called Biden’s maneuvers “pretty aggressive.”

In 2017 and 2018 Biden utilized several “S corporations” to avoid paying Medicare tax on speaking fees and book sales. These two S-corporations, the CelticCapri Corporation and the Giacoppa Corporation, allowed Biden to shield $13 million in income and avoid the 3.8 percent Medicare Payroll Tax, and the 0.9 percent Obamacare "Additional Medicare Tax."

While Biden’s tax avoidance has been known for several years now, the CRS report analyzes cases in which the IRS won against taxpayers who used similar, aggressive tactics. As such, the report suggests that the IRS would also have a strong case that Biden owes $500,000 in taxes under current rules, as he improperly in 2017 and 2018.

As the report explains, courts have routinely determined that shareholder-employees are subject to employment taxes:

“Courts have agreed with the IRS that shareholder-employees are subject to employment taxes when shareholders take distributions, dividends, or other forms of compensation in lieu of reasonable compensation.”

Even Left-leaning tax experts have previously called out Biden for his "pretty aggressive" tax maneuvers, as reported by Richard Rubin of the Wall Street Journal:

“To the extent that the Bidens’ profits came directly from the couple’s consulting and public speaking, “to treat those as other than compensation is pretty aggressive,” said Steve Rosenthal, a senior fellow at the Tax Policy Center, a research group run by a former Obama administration official.”

This is clear hypocrisy as Biden supports expanding Obamacare and routinely says “the rich” need to pay their fair share. The Obama administration considered it a top priority to close this loophole. Further, Democrats’ $3.5 trillion reconciliation would prohibit this specific tactic.

Joe Biden has repeatedly railed against the “rich” using tax loopholes. For instance, during his speech at the 2020 Democrat National Committee he said loopholes should be repealed and the wealthy need to pay their fair share:

"We can pay for these investments by ending loopholes, unnecessary loopholes... Because we don’t need a tax code that rewards wealth more than it rewards work. I’m not looking to punish anyone. Far from it. But it’s long past time the wealthiest people and the biggest corporations in this country paid their fair share.”

President Biden has been championing the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill, which includes the largest tax increase since 1968. These tax hikes will disproportionately hurt workers, retirees, consumers, and small businesses. However, they’ll be told that their involuntary sacrifice is “patriotic” and necessary. Meanwhile, politicians who impose these tax hikes, like Joe Biden, can and will use their infinite resources to avoid paying “their fair share.”

Biden needs to immediately send the IRS a $500,000 check to close his personal tax gap. Otherwise he has no moral authority to lecture and accuse everybody else.

Photo Credit: "President Joe Biden Visit" by National Renewable Energy Lab is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

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Posted by Isabelle Morales on Monday, September 27th, 2021, 4:20 PM PERMALINK Follow @IsabelleAliciaa

Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.) last week introduced legislation that ensures Senate Democrats allow a transparent and open process that includes committee hearings before voting on their $3.5 trillion budget reconciliation bill. This legislation, the No Hearing, No Vote Act of 2021, is supported by Senators Burr (R-N.C.), Inhofe (R-Okla.), Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Blackburn (R-Tenn.), Cramer (R-N.D.), Crapo (R-Idaho), Rick Scott (R-Fla.), Hoeven (R-N.D.), Ernst (R-Iowa), Lankford (R-Okla.), Capito (R-W.V.), Risch (R-Idaho), Rubio (R-Fla.), and Hagerty (R-Tenn.).

This legislation mirrors legislation introduced by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and 39 other Democrats in 2017, so this should not be a controversial bill. If lawmakers are serious about ensuring a transparent process for such consequential pieces of legislation, they should vote in favor of this bill.

Congressional Democrats have not held any hearings on the policies they have proposed in the $3.5 trillion reconciliation bill. The Senate also plans to skip the markup process and take this bill straight to the Senate floor. intend to hold a markup during the consideration of this bill either. Clearly, the American people are being kept in the dark on what is actually in this legislation.

The reconciliation bill Democrats have proposed contains the largest tax increase since 1968, a massive expansion of welfare, supersizing of the Internal Revenue Service, numerous green energy subsidies, and more.

The reconciliation bill contains a corporate income tax hike to 26.5 percent, higher than Communist China. Under this plan, the average combined state and federal corporate tax would be 31 percent. Corporate taxes are primarily borne by workers and consumers. It would also increase the top marginal income tax rate to 39.6 percent, hitting millions of small businesses organized as pass-throughs. Further, the bill would double the capital gains rate, impose a 15 percent minimum tax on book income, and more.

Democrats would use these taxpayer funds to radically expand the welfare state through a refundable child tax credit, paid medical and family leave, free pre-K education, free community college, public health insurance plans, countless tax credits for green energy, and more. It also contains countless "woke," perplexing items like a tax handout for journalists, the Civilian Climate Corp (make-work program for jobless climate activists), and a $1,500 tax credit for e-bikes.

If passed, this reconciliation bill will have real, enormous effects on the American people. At the very least, the American public and all lawmakers should be part of the conversation and process.

Photo Credit: "US Capitol" by Reizigerin is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0

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Posted on Monday, September 27th, 2021, 2:02 PM PERMALINK

New data released today by Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT) showed what we have known since the very beginning: The Congressional Democrats plan to hike the tobacco tax, and increase taxes on lifesaving reduced risk tobacco alternatives, will be overwhelmingly paid by some of the poorest in society, and is a blatant violation of President Biden's pledge to not raise taxes on Americans earning under $400,000.

According to the JCT, over a quarter of money raised will come from persons earning under $30,000, 77.5% of people who will be hit with these taxes make under $100,000/year, while 94.3% make under $200,000 a year.

Fortunately, some Democrats such as such as Rep. Steven Horsford (D-NV) have "raised concerns that it would hit those with lower incomes the hardest". Hopefully this new data will help convince his colleagues to honor President Biden's pledge.

Posted by John Kartch on Monday, September 27th, 2021, 1:19 PM PERMALINK

If Sen. Joe Manchin votes for the Democrats' reconciliation bill, he will stick West Virginia companies with a higher tax rate than communist China.

The Democrats' reconciliation bill would leave West Virginia with a combined federal-state corporate tax rate of 31.3% vs. communist China's 25%.

The Democrat bill will also put West Virginia companies at a competitive disadvantage vs. Europe: The European average corporate tax rate is 19%.

"As the country tries to recover from a once-in-a-century pandemic, Manchin must explain why he wants to stick West Virginians with higher taxes than China and Europe," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

The Democrats' $3.5 trillion bill will impose the largest tax increase since 1968. It will raise individual income taxes, small business taxes, corporate taxes, and capital gains taxes. If passed, the combined federal-state capital gains tax rate for West Virginians would be 38.3% vs. China's 20%.

The burden of the corporate tax rate hike will be borne by workers in the form of lower wages, and by households in the form of higher prices. Higher corporate tax rates will also raise utility bills.

The non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation recently affirmed in congressional testimony that the corporate tax rate hike will fall on "labor, laborers."

Testifying before the House Ways & Means Committee, JCT Chief of Staff Thomas A. Barthold said:

"Literature suggests that 25% of the burden of the corporate tax may be borne by labor in terms of diminished wage growth."

WATCH:

Economists across the political spectrum agree that workers bear the brunt of corporate tax increases. And 25% is on the very low end.

According to the Stephen Entin of the Tax Foundation, labor (or workers) bear an estimated 70 percent of the corporate income tax:

"Over the last few decades, economists have used empirical studies to estimate the degree to which the corporate tax falls on labor and capital, in part by noting an inverse correlation between corporate taxes and wages and employment. These studies appear to show that labor bears between 50 percent and 100 percent of the burden of the corporate income tax, with 70 percent or higher the most likely outcome."

A 2012 paper at the University of Warwick and University of Oxford found that a $1 increase in the corporate tax reduces wages by 92 cents in the long term. This study was conducted by Wiji Arulampalam, Michael P. Devereux, and Giorgia Maffini and studied over 55,000 businesses located in nine European countries over the period 1996-2003:

"We identify this direct shifting through cross-company variation in tax liabilities, conditional on value added per employee. Our central estimate is that $1 of additional tax reduces wages by 92 cents in the long run. The incidence of a $1 fall in value added is smaller, consistent with our wage bargaining model."

A 2015 study by Kevin Hassett and Aparna Mathur found that a 1 percent increase in corporate tax rates leads to a 0.5 percent decrease in wage rates. The study analyses 66 countries over 25 years and concludes that workers could see a greater reduction in wages than the federal government raises in new revenue from a corporate income tax increase:

"We find, controlling for other macroeconomic variables, that wages are significantly responsive to corporate taxation. Higher corporate tax rates depress wages. Using spatial modelling techniques, we also find that tax characteristics of neighbouring countries, whether geographic or economic, have a significant effect on domestic wages."

A 2006 study by William Randolph of the Congressional Budget Office found that 74% of the corporate tax is borne by domestic labor:

"Burdens are measured in a numerical example by substituting factor shares and output shares that are reasonable for the U.S. economy. Given those values, domestic labor bears slightly more than 70 percent of the burden of the corporate income tax."

A 2007 study by Alison Felix estimated that a 1 percentage point increase in the marginal corporate tax rate decreases annual wages by 0.7 percent. She concluded that the wage reductions are over four times the amount of collected corporate tax revenue:

"The empirical results presented here suggest that the incidence of corporate taxation is more than fully borne by labor. I estimate that a one percentage point increase in the marginal corporate tax rate decreases annual wages by 0.7 percent. The magnitude of the results predicts that the decrease in wages is more than four times the amount of the corporate tax revenue collected."

A 2012 Harvard Business Review piece by Mihir A. Desai notes that raising the corporate tax lands “straight on the back” of the American worker and will see a decline in real wages:

"Because capital is mobile, high tax rates divert investment away from the U.S. corporate sector and toward housing, noncorporate business sectors, and foreign countries. American workers need that capital to become more productive. When it’s invested elsewhere, real wages decline, and if product prices are set globally, there is no place for the corporate tax to land but straight on the back of the least-mobile factor in this setting: the American worker."

Even the left-of-center Tax Policy Center estimates that 20 percent of the burden of the corporate income tax is borne by labor:

"In calculating distributional effects, the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center (TPC) assumes investment returns (dividends, interest, capital gains, etc.) bear 80 percent of the burden, with wages and other labor income carrying the remaining 20 percent."

"Manchin would be wise to oppose any tax increase," said Norquist.

Posted by John Kartch on Monday, September 27th, 2021, 1:12 PM PERMALINK

If Sen. Jon Tester votes for the Democrats' reconciliation bill, he will stick Montana companies with a higher tax rate than communist China.

The Democrats' reconciliation bill would leave Montana with a combined federal-state corporate tax rate of 31.5% vs. communist China's 25%.

The Democrat bill will also put Montana companies at a competitive disadvantage vs. Europe: The European average corporate tax rate is 19%.

"As the country tries to recover from a once-in-a-century pandemic, Tester must explain why he wants to stick Montanans with higher taxes than China and Europe," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

The non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation recently affirmed in congressional testimony that the corporate tax rate hike will fall on "labor, laborers."

Testifying before the House Ways & Means Committee, JCT Chief of Staff Thomas A. Barthold said:

"Literature suggests that 25% of the burden of the corporate tax may be borne by labor in terms of diminished wage growth."

WATCH:

Economists across the political spectrum agree that workers bear the brunt of corporate tax increases. And 25% is on the very low end.

According to the Stephen Entin of the Tax Foundation, labor (or workers) bear an estimated 70 percent of the corporate income tax:

A 2006 study by William Randolph of the Congressional Budget Office found that 74% of the corporate tax is borne by domestic labor:

A 2012 Harvard Business Review piece by Mihir A. Desai notes that raising the corporate tax lands “straight on the back” of the American worker and will see a decline in real wages:

Even the left-of-center Tax Policy Center estimates that 20 percent of the burden of the corporate income tax is borne by labor:

"Tester would be wise to oppose any tax increase," said Norquist.

Posted by John Kartch on Monday, September 27th, 2021, 1:06 PM PERMALINK

If Sen. Maggie Hassan votes for the Democrats' reconciliation bill, she will stick New Hampshire companies with a higher tax rate than communist China.

The Democrats' reconciliation bill would leave New Hampshire with a combined federal-state corporate tax rate of 32.2% vs. communist China's 25%.

The Democrat bill will also put New Hampshire companies at a competitive disadvantage vs. Europe: The European average corporate tax rate is 19%.

"As the country tries to recover from a once-in-a-century pandemic, Hassan must explain why she wants to stick New Hampshire companies with higher taxes than China and Europe," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

The non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation recently affirmed in congressional testimony that the corporate tax rate hike will fall on "labor, laborers."

Testifying before the House Ways & Means Committee, JCT Chief of Staff Thomas A. Barthold said:

"Literature suggests that 25% of the burden of the corporate tax may be borne by labor in terms of diminished wage growth."

WATCH:

Economists across the political spectrum agree that workers bear the brunt of corporate tax increases. And 25% is on the very low end.

According to the Stephen Entin of the Tax Foundation, labor (or workers) bear an estimated 70 percent of the corporate income tax:

A 2006 study by William Randolph of the Congressional Budget Office found that 74% of the corporate tax is borne by domestic labor:

A 2012 Harvard Business Review piece by Mihir A. Desai notes that raising the corporate tax lands “straight on the back” of the American worker and will see a decline in real wages:

Even the left-of-center Tax Policy Center estimates that 20 percent of the burden of the corporate income tax is borne by labor:

"Hassan would be wise to oppose any tax increase," said Norquist.

Posted by John Kartch on Monday, September 27th, 2021, 11:46 AM PERMALINK Follow @JohnKartch

If Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff vote for the Democrats' reconciliation bill, they will stick Georgia companies with a higher tax rate than communist China.

The Democrats' reconciliation bill would leave Georgia with a combined federal-state corporate tax rate of 30.7% vs. communist China's 25%.

The Democrat bill will also put Georgia companies at a competitive disadvantage vs. Europe: The European average corporate tax rate is 19%.

"As the country tries to recover from a once-in-a-century pandemic, Warnock and Ossoff must explain why they want to stick Georgians with higher taxes than China and Europe," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

The non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation recently affirmed in congressional testimony that the corporate tax rate hike will fall on "labor, laborers."

Testifying before the House Ways & Means Committee, JCT Chief of Staff Thomas A. Barthold said:

"Literature suggests that 25% of the burden of the corporate tax may be borne by labor in terms of diminished wage growth."

WATCH:

Economists across the political spectrum agree that workers bear the brunt of corporate tax increases. And 25% is on the very low end.

According to the Stephen Entin of the Tax Foundation, labor (or workers) bear an estimated 70 percent of the corporate income tax:

A 2006 study by William Randolph of the Congressional Budget Office found that 74% of the corporate tax is borne by domestic labor:

A 2012 Harvard Business Review piece by Mihir A. Desai notes that raising the corporate tax lands “straight on the back” of the American worker and will see a decline in real wages:

Even the left-of-center Tax Policy Center estimates that 20 percent of the burden of the corporate income tax is borne by labor:

"Warnock and Ossoff would be wise to oppose any tax increase," said Norquist.

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Posted by Mike Palicz on Friday, September 24th, 2021, 1:30 PM PERMALINK Follow @Mike_Palicz

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) confirmed today that the Senate majority leader asked him to craft carbon tax legislation to be included in Democrats' $3.5 trillion tax and spend blowout.

Upon the request of Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-New York), Wyden is drafting legislation that could create a carbon tax starting as high as $18 per ton and set to increase over time, according to reporting from the New York Times. For context, the Congressional Budget Office has previously estimated that a $20 per ton carbon tax would increase taxes by $1.2 trillion over a decade while the center-left Tax Policy Center found a $20 per ton carbon tax reduces the pre-tax income of households in the lowest income quintile by nearly one percent.

A Clear Violation of Biden’s Tax Pledge

This tax increase would violate President Biden’s pledge not to raise any form of tax on anyone making less than $400,000 per year. A carbon tax would increase the price of gasoline, household energy bills and everyday consumer goods.

Last week, a leaked document from the Senate Finance Committee outlined plans for a similarly described carbon tax that would be paired with a carbon “border adjustment” – a proposal which the Whitehouse has already stated would “raise prices on a host of consumer goods, from cars to appliances, and conflict with Biden’s pledge not to tax any American earning less than $400,000 per year.”

Gas Tax Hike on Steroids, Would Double the Gas Tax in Year One

A carbon tax of $18/ton would roughly translate to a gas tax increase of 18 cents per gallon in year one. A recent study from the Congressional Research Service found that every $1 per ton increase in a carbon tax roughly translates to a 1 cent per gallon increase in the price of gasoline. The current federal gas tax is 18.3 cents per gallon, meaning Wyden’s carbon tax would effectively double the gas tax in year one.

Biden’s own Secretary of Transportation, Pete Buttiegieg, has previously acknowledged that increasing the federal gas tax would violate Biden’s pledge.

“The President’s made a commitment that this administration will not raise taxes on people making less than $400,000 a year,” Buttigieg told Bloomberg Radio’s “Sound On” show in February. “And so that rules out approaches like the old fashioned gas tax.”

Sen. Joe Manchin ruled out a carbon in February

In February, Senator Joe Manchin (D-West Virginia) categorically ruled out a carbon tax while on video during a webinar:

"They want to talk about this as a penalty? Forget it. As long as I'm here and there's 50 votes and it takes 51 to pass it,” Manchin stated.

Democrats passing a carbon tax in the Senate would require a historical flip-flop from Sen. Manchin.

Photo Credit: WikiMedia Commons

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Posted by John Kartch on Friday, September 24th, 2021, 12:30 PM PERMALINK Follow @JohnKartch

If Sens. Kyrsten Sinema and Mark Kelly votes for the Democrats' reconciliation bill, they will stick Arizona companies with a higher tax rate than communist China.

The Democrats' reconciliation bill would leave Arizona with a combined federal-state corporate tax rate of 30.1% vs. communist China's 25%.

The Democrat bill will also put Arizona companies at a competitive disadvantage vs. Europe: The European average corporate tax rate is 19%.

"As the country tries to recover from a once-in-a-century pandemic, Sinema and Kelly would have to explain why they want to stick Arizonans with higher taxes than China and Europe," said Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

The burden of the corporate tax rate hike will be borne by Arizona workers in the form of lower wages, and by households in the form of higher prices. Higher corporate tax rates will also raise utility bills.

The non-partisan Joint Committee on Taxation recently affirmed in congressional testimony that the corporate tax rate hike will fall on "labor, laborers."

Testifying before the House Ways & Means Committee, JCT Chief of Staff Thomas A. Barthold said:

"Literature suggests that 25% of the burden of the corporate tax may be borne by labor in terms of diminished wage growth."

WATCH:

Economists across the political spectrum agree that workers bear the brunt of corporate tax increases. And 25% is on the very low end.

According to the Stephen Entin of the Tax Foundation, labor (or workers) bear an estimated 70 percent of the corporate income tax:

A 2006 study by William Randolph of the Congressional Budget Office found that 74% of the corporate tax is borne by domestic labor:

A 2012 Harvard Business Review piece by Mihir A. Desai notes that raising the corporate tax lands “straight on the back” of the American worker and will see a decline in real wages:

Even the left-of-center Tax Policy Center estimates that 20 percent of the burden of the corporate income tax is borne by labor:

"Sinema would be wise to oppose any tax increase," said Norquist.

More from Americans for Tax Reform

Georgians Will Face Higher Taxes Than Communist China if Dem Bill Passes

9 Facts About The Democrats $96 Billion Tobacco & Vaping Tax Grab

Dem Bill Gives Tax Cuts to Reporters at "Local Newspapers" With Up to 750 Employees