Bill Gates wants ultra-wealthy individuals to pay more tax — and now a growing chorus of billionaires agree.
In his annual “Ask Me Anything” forum on Reddit last year, the Microsoft cofounder said he was “surprised” that taxes for the rich haven’t been increased more.
Gates doubled down on his calls to tax the rich in a panel at the World Economic Forum in Davos this week. He said the wealthiest nations should donate more money to developing countries to help redress inequality.
“Those who have the most — whether it’s countries, companies, or individuals — should be pushed to be more generous,” he said.
It seems others agree, as more than 250 ultra-wealthy people signed an open letter calling for global leaders to impose a wealth tax.
Dear Bill,
the german government has a banking account where you can send them money, no questions asked. Feel free to send over your fair share of taxes you are avoiding by routing the Microsoft profits from Germany via Luxembourg and other tax havens.
How about backing up that letter with some lobbyists?
Ads. We need these folks taking out issues ads, raising the profile of taxing the ultra-rich.
Hi, I’m Bill Gates, and I am spending more on this ad campaign than I paid in taxes.
Paid for by Bill Gates
As long as it is only a letter other billionaires don’t care. They know it’s lip service.
You know, you can voluntarily pay more taxes. I don’t think the irs would stop you paying more if you wanted to
if you overpay the IRS they will refund you
My nine year old: “My nails are sharp and they get stuck to my clothes”
Me: “You should cut them. Do you need any help?”
9 y.o.: “Please cut them even if I start crying”Sometimes people need their nails cut for them and you should be happy to oblige even if they start crying. Though I think Bill’s waning moment bribes are more convincing than offering to do chores.
No one is stopping you from giving money to the government.
You can make a gift to reduce public debt here: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/23779454
You can donate to the U.S. Government here: https://www.pay.gov/public/form/start/708094624
This is the same argument the other billionaires, politicians, and the media makes when arguing against Gates, Buffet, and Soros. I’m not saying Gates is a great person, but he’s more or less right in this particular case. It’s kinda like the “so, if you want the homeless to be housed, let them stay in your apartment,” argument.
I don’t disagree with his opinion, I just think he is a tremendous hypocrite.
Are they both tax deductible?
I don’t have any idea.
Honestly donating to the national debt probably should be
If you’re gonna tax dodge at least do it in a way that offers even a nominal benefit to the rest of us
I’m sure what they’re saying is that they want to give the government money but the government won’t let them.
Quit being disingenuous.
Disingenuous? He has billions of dollars stored in a 501(c)(3).
A 501(c)(3) organization is a United States corporation, trust, unincorporated association or other type of organization exempt from federal income tax under section 501(c)(3) of Title 26 of the United States Code.
He’s a fucking clown.
They’ll increase the tax and then funnel the government money into their sheets again, but now they can claim that they are being taxed as they should. All’s fair. Except the workers who get shitter pay, worse conditions.
Genuinely hard to tell if a joke sometimes
Buy a few Republicans and let’s make it happen, Billy Boy.
I feel like these billionaires are afraid of the shitshow we call capitalism collapsing and they’re willing to throw money at the problem so they can keep it going and stay in power.
And what he’s willing to be taxed is a fraction of his hoard.
“I’m surprised the thing me and my ilk have been actively working against hasn’t magically happened despite our massive efforts to the opposite effect.”
Bet you Bill thinks these kinds of publicity stunts will exclude him from being eaten, when we go to eat the rich.
Just curious, how has he worked against it?
Is he funding lobbyists to affect this kind of change? No.
Is he employing top tier accountants to make sure he doesn’t pay his fair share like the poors? Betcha.
Does he funnel his wealth into charitable foundations that are a tax write off leading to him getting money rather than having to pay it, while it stays in an eco system he has full control over? Betcha.
Is he buying expensive art, property, etc. to incur expenses that are tax write offs? Betcha.Since I’m not a Billionaire, I won’t be able to tell you all the ways that cunt is 100% pushing for a status quo while putting out fluff pieces like these that make him look good while doing literally nothing to affect the change he supposedly wants.
Wouldn’t even be surprised if this was something to get out ahead of some revelations about tax evasion, so if you ever search up Bill Gates taxes, all you get is this curated nonsense of what a stand up good lad he is, trying oh so hard to pay his fair share. Why won’t anyone take his money? Poor Bill. Must be hard not getting taxed and being utterly powerless to do anything about that. Shucks. Now he has to go another decade without ever coming close to paying his fair share.
Oh, also garbage takes like these, where he publicly opposed new tax plans - but it’s fine, it was all cute and the audience laughed and he payed soooo much, sooo many taxes. https://youtu.be/dXxP4S_WwS0
Irrelevant to this tax thing but Bill Gates still helping known patent trolls obtain more patents
Bill Gates is widely known for massive hypocrisy. And funneling his “Charity” money into vaccine companies he owns himself. And buying up an insane amount of farm land during Covid.
If Bill Gates says something you can bet that he’s doing the exact opposite. There’s a reason that this “charity man” somehow keeps getting richer.
By being part of the billionaire owner class for decades and saying nothing about it until there’s very real threats of working class solidarity.
Being part of the billionaire class prevents taxes being levied against you?
I’ve come to the right place if bill gates isn’t cheered on by leftwingers… Dude has such a sketchy past especially regarding intellectual property and market manipulation.
But “at least he doesn’t support trump”
He probably is through some back-ass-channel. These kinds of assholes always play all colors, all cards and have backup plans. He still wants to cling to his little riches even if the political winds change again. Gotta be able to show receipts when that happens.
I’ll never support a single Billionaire ever for any reason whatsoever. They’re leeches and parasites to society, our species and planet.
People are right to point out that he should not simply cut a check to the government, instead he should lobby for higher wealth taxes like he lobbies for patents or voucher schools. Anything less is just free PR.
I think people often lob unfair criticism at Gates, but this is more than fair.
Gates has done enough evil during his lifetime to earn all the shit talk.
K
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Ive been hearing Mark to Market get tossed around as a viable means to tax non liquid wealth, what I think is gonna be the big fight is how to tax items of subjective valuations like art pieces, or how even to establish a standard procedure of assessment that can’t be fudged for tax purposes
Talk is cheap
“i know you guys are upset at us fucking over all of you, but i assure you if you let us continue being petty tyrants with vast fortunes, we might give a marginally bigger sum of it back to the government, which will still spend it on whatever we tell it to anyway. win win!”
i don’t want you to be more generous, i want you to be gone. if anyone proposed a plan that would actually affect them i doubt they would still support a wealth tax.
Bill Gates should something about inequality in his own country. He only helped enable the tech dystopia we live in today. Him and his family practically live on another planet insulated from their evil. Security guards, elaborate compounds, multiple properties, and they want to go around in sweaters pretending they know how hard people have it while only focusing on other countries’ plights. In order to help developing countries they steal wealth from their own countrymen in order to have pet projects so we the people don’t see there’s nothing behind their eyes only malice and hatred for their fellow man.
Literally nothing is stopping any of them from cutting a massive check to the government. This is lip service to stop people from hating on the billionaire class.
If you think billionaires paying more taxes to governments will mean better lives for the poor then oh boy do I have a bridge to sell you.
Put up or shut up, Bill. And don’t get me started on all the land you own
