Author Topic: Donald Trump flip flops on taxes, wages as he turns focus to general election  (Read 504 times)

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Offline sinkspur

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http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/donald-trump-flip-flops-taxes-wages-he-turns-focus-general-election

Donald Trump flip flops on taxes, wages as he turns focus to general election

UPDATED 05/05/16 03:00 PM



By Benjy Sarlin

Two days into his general election campaign, Donald Trump has already signaled he may abandon his positions on two major policy issues: a minimum wage increase and tax cuts for the rich.

Trump has never been known for his consistency: He took multiple positions on abortion in several days last month, and more recently shifted from promising to erase America’s $19 trillion debt in eight years to arguing it was actually a good time to borrow. Even on his signature issue of immigration, he’s flipped back and forth – sometimes in the same day – on whether he supports certain visas for legal workers.

Trump’s willingness to blithely abandon past positions has made conservative activists deeply skeptical, but it also presents a general election challenge for Democrats: How do you hold a candidate accountable for his positions after he has looked Americans in the eyes during a debate and, with a straight face, denied he ever held contrary views?
Take taxes. Trump put out a tax plan last year that included major cuts to income, estate and business taxes for the ultra-wealthy along with far less generous cuts for the middle class. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center estimated his plan would cut the tax bill for the top 1 percent of earners by about $275,000 a year on average and for the top 0.1 percent by $1.3 million. The overall cost would be $9.5 trillion over a decade.

“I fight like hell to pay as little as possible,” Trump said at an event announcing his plan in September.

But that was the old Trump. Pressed by CNBC on Thursday as to how he could simultaneously brand himself as a populist who will take on wealthy elites while proposing sweeping tax cuts for billionaires, Trump backed away from his plan.

“I am not necessarily a huge fan of that,” he said. “I am so much more into the middle class who have just been absolutely forgotten in our country.”

Trump described his tax proposal, which was the most detailed policy paper he put out in the campaign, as merely a starting point for a future deal.

“You know, when you put out a tax plan, you are going to start negotiating,” he said. “You don’t say, ‘OK, this is our tax plan, lots of luck, folks.’ There will be negotiation back and forth. And I can see that going up, to be honest with you.”

It’s important to note that these disproportionately large cuts for the rich aren’t a minor side feature of his plan, they’re the heart of it. A whopping 67 percent of the overall cost of his individual tax cuts would go to the top 20 percent of earners and 35 percent of it would go to the top 1 percent, according to the Tax Policy Center’s analysis.

Trump’s abrupt dismissal of his own tax plan, which he regularly cited on the campaign trail, came a day after he signaled a possible willingness to raise the federal minimum wage, which would be a major reversal from his stance in the primaries.

“I am open to doing something with it, because I don’t like that,” Trump told CNN on Wednesday after being asked if he thought the $7.25 minimum wage should be increased.

Trump added that “you have to have something that you can live on” and that his willingness to entertain a wage increase showed he was “very different from most Republicans.” At the same time, he said he would prefer to try to raise wages through economic growth.

This was, to put it mildly, a complete flip flop from his position in the primaries. He repeatedly argued that raising the minimum would move jobs to countries like China. Speaking in the cold language of a businessman looking at his bottom line, Trump even seemed to indicate overall American wages, regardless of the law, were too generous already. 

“Taxes too high, wages too high, we’re not going to be able to compete against the world,” Trump said in a November debate hosted by Fox Business.

Trump clarified afterwards that he did not believe American wages were too high, but he did make crystal clear he was fundamentally opposed to a minimum wage increase.

“We were talking about the minimum wage, and they said, ‘Should we increase the minimum wage?’ ” Trump told Fox News after the debate. “And I’m saying that if we’re going to compete with other countries we can’t do that because the wages would be too high.”

Trump reiterated on CNN Wednesday that he had concerns about the minimum wage growing “too much” on similar grounds. But his abrupt move toward a possible increase that he opposed in tough terms is a significant general election shift.
Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

Offline sinkspur

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So, like the Democrat he is, he'll propose raising taxes on high income earners.  Who didn't see this coming?
Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

Offline sinkspur

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Here is Donald J. Trump's coherent detailed explanation of his tax plan:

Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

Offline Mechanicos

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Tax Reform That Will Make America Great Again

The Goals Of Donald J. Trump’s Tax Plan

Too few Americans are working, too many jobs have been shipped overseas, and too many middle class families cannot make ends meet. This tax plan directly meets these challenges with four simple goals:

    Tax relief for middle class Americans: In order to achieve the American dream, let people keep more money in their pockets and increase after-tax wages.
    Simplify the tax code to reduce the headaches Americans face in preparing their taxes and let everyone keep more of their money.
    Grow the American economy by discouraging corporate inversions, adding a huge number of new jobs, and making America globally competitive again.
    Doesn’t add to our debt and deficit, which are already too large.

The Trump Tax Plan Achieves These Goals

    If you are single and earn less than $25,000, or married and jointly earn less than $50,000, you will not owe any income tax. That removes nearly 75 million households – over 50% – from the income tax rolls. They get a new one page form to send the IRS saying, “I win,” those who would otherwise owe income taxes will save an average of nearly $1,000 each.
    All other Americans will get a simpler tax code with four brackets – 0%, 10%, 20% and 25% – instead of the current seven. This new tax code eliminates the marriage penalty and the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) while providing the lowest tax rate since before World War II.
    No business of any size, from a Fortune 500 to a mom and pop shop to a freelancer living job to job, will pay more than 15% of their business income in taxes. This lower rate makes corporate inversions unnecessary by making America’s tax rate one of the best in the world.
    No family will have to pay the death tax. You earned and saved that money for your family, not the government. You paid taxes on it when you earned it.

The Trump Tax Plan Is Revenue Neutral

The Trump tax cuts are fully paid for by:

    Reducing or eliminating most deductions and loopholes available to the very rich.
    A one-time deemed repatriation of corporate cash held overseas at a significantly discounted 10% tax rate, followed by an end to the deferral of taxes on corporate income earned abroad.
    Reducing or eliminating corporate loopholes that cater to special interests, as well as deductions made unnecessary or redundant by the new lower tax rate on corporations and business income. We will also phase in a reasonable cap on the deductibility of business interest expenses.

DETAILS OF DONALD J. TRUMP’S TAX PLAN

America needs a bold, simple and achievable plan based on conservative economic principles. This plan does that with needed tax relief for all Americans, especially the working poor and middle class, pro-growth tax reform for all sizes of businesses, and fiscally responsible steps to ensure this plan does not add to our enormous debt and deficit.

This plan simplifies the tax code by taking nearly 50% of current filers off the income tax rolls entirely and reducing the number of tax brackets from seven to four for everyone else. This plan also reduces or eliminates loopholes used by the very rich and special interests made unnecessary or redundant by the new lower tax rates on individuals and companies.

The Trump Tax Plan: A Simpler Tax Code For All Americans

When the income tax was first introduced, just one percent of Americans had to pay it. It was never intended as a tax most Americans would pay. The Trump plan eliminates the income tax for over 73 million households. 42 million households that currently file complex forms to determine they don’t owe any income taxes will now file a one page form saving them time, stress, uncertainty and an average of $110 in preparation costs. Over 31 million households get the same simplification and keep on average nearly $1,000 of their hard-earned money.

For those Americans who will still pay the income tax, the tax rates will go from the current seven brackets to four simpler, fairer brackets that eliminate the marriage penalty and the AMT while providing the lowest tax rate since before World War II:

Income Tax Rate    Long Term Cap Gains/ Dividends Rate    Single Filers    Married Filers    Heads of Household
0%    0%    $0 to $25,000    $0 to $50,000    $0 to $37,500
10%    0%    $25,001 to $50,000    $50,001 to $100,000    $37,501 to $75,000
20%    15%    $50,001 to $150,000    $100,001 to $300,000    $75,001 to $225,000
25%    20%    $150,001 and up    $300,001 and up    $225,001 and up

With this huge reduction in rates, many of the current exemptions and deductions will become unnecessary or redundant. Those within the 10% bracket will keep all or most of their current deductions. Those within the 20% bracket will keep more than half of their current deductions. Those within the 25% bracket will keep fewer deductions. Charitable giving and mortgage interest deductions will remain unchanged for all taxpayers.

Simplifying the tax code and cutting every American’s taxes will boost consumer spending, encourage savings and investment, and maximize economic growth.

Business Tax Reform To Encourage Jobs And Spur Economic Growth

Too many companies – from great American brands to innovative startups – are leaving America, either directly or through corporate inversions. The Democrats want to outlaw inversions, but that will never work. Companies leaving is not the disease, it is the symptom. Politicians in Washington have let America fall from the best corporate tax rate in the industrialized world in the 1980’s (thanks to Ronald Reagan) to the worst rate in the industrialized world. That is unacceptable. Under the Trump plan, America will compete with the world and win by cutting the corporate tax rate to 15%, taking our rate from one of the worst to one of the best.

This lower tax rate cannot be for big business alone; it needs to help the small businesses that are the true engine of our economy. Right now, freelancers, sole proprietors, unincorporated small businesses and pass-through entities are taxed at the high personal income tax rates. This treatment stifles small businesses. It also stifles tax reform because efforts to reduce loopholes and deductions available to the very rich and special interests end up hitting small businesses and job creators as well. The Trump plan addresses this challenge head on with a new business income tax rate within the personal income tax code that matches the 15% corporate tax rate to help these businesses, entrepreneurs and freelancers grow and prosper.

These lower rates will provide a tremendous stimulus for the economy – significant GDP growth, a huge number of new jobs and an increase in after-tax wages for workers.

The Trump Tax Plan Ends The Unfair Death Tax

The death tax punishes families for achieving the American dream. Therefore, the Trump plan eliminates the death tax.

The Trump Tax Plan Is Fiscally Responsible

The Trump tax cuts are fully paid for by:

    Reducing or eliminating deductions and loopholes available to the very rich, starting by steepening the curve of the Personal Exemption Phaseout and the Pease Limitation on itemized deductions. The Trump plan also phases out the tax exemption on life insurance interest for high-income earners, ends the current tax treatment of carried interest for speculative partnerships that do not grow businesses or create jobs and are not risking their own capital, and reduces or eliminates other loopholes for the very rich and special interests. These reductions and eliminations will not harm the economy or hurt the middle class. Because the Trump plan introduces a new business income rate within the personal income tax code, they will not harm small businesses either.
    A one-time deemed repatriation of corporate cash held overseas at a significantly discounted 10% tax rate. Since we are making America’s corporate tax rate globally competitive, it is only fair that corporations help make that move fiscally responsible. U.S.-owned corporations have as much as $2.5 trillion in cash sitting overseas. Some companies have been leaving cash overseas as a tax maneuver. Under this plan, they can bring their cash home and put it to work in America while benefitting from the newly-lowered corporate tax rate that is globally competitive and no longer requires parking cash overseas. Other companies have cash overseas for specific business units or activities. They can leave that cash overseas, but they will still have to pay the one-time repatriation fee.
    An end to the deferral of taxes on corporate income earned abroad. Corporations will no longer be allowed to defer taxes on income earned abroad, but the foreign tax credit will remain in place because no company should face double taxation.
    Reducing or eliminating some corporate loopholes that cater to special interests, as well as deductions made unnecessary or redundant by the new lower tax rate on corporations and business income. We will also phase in a reasonable cap on the deductibility of business interest expenses.
https://www.donaldjtrump.com/positions/tax-reform
Trump is for America First.
"Crooked Hillary Clinton is the Secretary of the Status Quo – and wherever Hillary Clinton goes, corruption and scandal follow." D. Trump 7/11/16

Did you know that the word ‘gullible’ is not in the dictionary?

Isaiah 54:17

Offline sinkspur

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No longer operative.  Trump is raising taxes on the job creators.   You're behind the curve, pal.
Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

Offline Mechanicos

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No longer operative.  Trump is raising taxes on the job creators.   You're behind the curve, pal.
Just watched the WV rally, he changed nothing on taxes. Is it possible your sources were not truthful?
Trump is for America First.
"Crooked Hillary Clinton is the Secretary of the Status Quo – and wherever Hillary Clinton goes, corruption and scandal follow." D. Trump 7/11/16

Did you know that the word ‘gullible’ is not in the dictionary?

Isaiah 54:17

Offline don-o

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Trump does not have the 1237 nailed down. I hope he has many more flip flops for the remaining voters to have a good think about.

Offline sinkspur

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Just watched the WV rally, he changed nothing on taxes. Is it possible your sources were not truthful?

Read what he said on CNBC above. Maybe you understand Trumpspeak.  The interpretation I've seen is that he's raising taxes on upper income earners, like Hillary.
Roy Moore's "spiritual warfare" is driving past a junior high without stopping.

Offline don-o

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Just watched the WV rally, he changed nothing on taxes. Is it possible your sources were not truthful?

Trump on tax cuts for the rich in his tax plan: “I am not necessarily a huge fan of that”

http://hotair.com/archives/2016/05/05/trump-on-tax-cuts-for-the-rich-in-his-tax-plan-i-am-not-necessarily-a-huge-fan-of-that/

If it’s just a starting point for a deal, why would the master negotiator start negotiating against himself? Wait for a Democratic counteroffer, then hint that you’re willing to come off your numbers on tax cuts. Signaling up front that you’re petrified of losing your populist cred if the left starts hammering you for worrying more about the rich than the middle class gives them an incentive to drive a harder bargain. Good lord.

Between this and the language Trump used yesterday in talking about the minimum wage, it looks like his flip-flop strategy for the rest of the year will be to not quite flop but rather suggest that he might. He didn’t say he’d now support raising the minimum wage, he said, “I’m looking at that.” He didn’t say he’d reverse the tax cuts in his plan, he said, “I am not necessarily a huge fan of that.” Which is the real Trump, the liberal who’s pretending to be Republican but will revert to liberalism once in office? The plutocrat who’s pretending to be a populist but will revert to plutocracy once in office? Or the nationalist reactionary he became in time for this year’s Republican race? Dunno. Maybe Trump doesn’t know either. Roll the dice, see what turns up!

Offline Gov Bean Counter

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Wow. He is "into" the middle class. Isn't that special.
Donald Trump - Simple solutions for the simple minded...