Goldman Sachs Tax

You know how people are always talking about the good ole days? Let's take a look at the tax rates for our mega-rich oligarchy overlords from that period.


Source: TruthAndPolitics.org

Now read this-

AMY GOODMAN: How much money did Goldman Sachs pay in taxes in 2008?

MATT TAIBBI: They paid $14 million in taxes last year, which is an effective tax rate of about one percent, which means that they paid in taxes about a third of what CEO Lloyd Blankfein actually made in compensation last year. And that sounds like an amazing number. And if you—their excuse for why that is is because they had changes in their so-called geographic earnings mix, which basically means that they moved all their revenues to foreign countries, where the tax rates were lower. And so, Goldman, which was, again, the beneficiary of massive subsidies during the bailouts, you know, paid really just a pittance in taxes last year.

The above quote is from this interview with Matt Taibbi.

I'm no fan of big taxes but they do serve a purpose when spent wisely.


I see I'm not the only one.

Warren Buffett, the renowned investor and the world’s second richest man, told Senate Democrats that wealthy Americans need to pay higher taxes, giving Democrats something to mull as they address healthcare reform and soaring federal deficits.

Senate Democrats met with Buffett for more than an hour over lunch Thursday, peppering him with questions about the economy, said lawmakers in attendance.

“He said rich people are not paying enough taxes,” said Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.). “It was interesting to see someone who is such an aggressive capitalist, who believes so much in our capitalist system, saying we’ve got the scales way too heavily toward people who are very, very wealthy.”

Buffett told lawmakers that because of the cuts to the capital gains tax passed under former President George W. Bush, he pays taxes at a lower rate than some of his company’s employees.

It is an argument the investor has made before. Buffett said he paid a 16.5 percent tax rate on all his income because the tax rate on investment dividends and long-term capital gains is only 15 percent.

........ more here.