On Friday, a group of Democratic lawmakers, along with Independent Senator Bernie Sanders, shed light on numerous profitable American companies that, in recent years, have paid their executives more than their federal income tax contributions. They largely attribute this issue to the substantial tax cuts implemented by former President Donald Trump, which Republicans aim to continue.
The legislators highlighted, through letters sent to each of these companies, that “In the five years after the 2017 tax cuts, 35 corporations accumulated $277 billion in domestic profits while paying their executives $9.5 billion—a sum exceeding their federal income tax payments.” This was underscored by findings from the Institute for Policy Studies and Americans for Tax Fairness.
“Next year, the fate of these corporate tax breaks will be up for debate in Congress. Republicans have vowed to further reduce the corporate tax rate from 21% to 15% if they come into power,” the legislators added. “Such tax reductions would gift Fortune 100 companies an additional $50 billion annually, surpassing the total federal spending on K-12 education.”
“The benefits of the TCJA to major corporations, their executives, and affluent shareholders are clear and significant.”
Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), along with Representative Greg Casar (D-Texas) spearheaded the initiative, addressing letters to 35 companies including well-known entities like Netflix, Ford, and Tesla, whose CEO is recognized as the richest individual globally.
“Tesla stands out among the glaring examples of large, profitable companies that end up paying more to their top executives than in federal income taxes,” the legislators pointed out. “Research by the Institute for Policy Studies and Americans for Tax Fairness shows that between 2018 and 2022, Tesla earned $4.4 billion in profits and paid zero dollars in federal income tax.”
During this period, Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk received what has been termed “the largest compensation package ever awarded to a corporate chief,” they noted.
Other corporations identified include T-Mobile, AIG, NextEra, Darden, MetLife, Duke Energy, First Energy, DISH, Principal Financial, American Electrical Power, Kinder Morgan, Dominion, Oneok, Williams, Xcel Energy, NRG Energy, Salesforce, DTE Energy, Ameren, Sempra Energy, U.S. Steel, Entergy, AmerisourceBergen, PPL, CMS Energy, Evergy, Voya Financial, Atmos Energy, Alliant Energy, Match Group, UGI, and Agilent Tech.
The lawmakers demanded answers from these corporations’ CEOs on how much they would have paid in federal taxes without the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and their expenditures on lobbying to maintain the Republican-backed law.
“The gains from the TCJA for major businesses, their executives, and wealthy stockholders are undeniable,” the letters stated. “A study by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy revealed that 342 corporations paid an average effective tax rate of just 14.1% over the five years following the TCJA’s enactment, nearly a third less than the official 21% rate. The benefits do not extend to the workforce—90% of employees saw no salary increase, whereas executives earning $989,000 annually received an average increase of $50,000.”
These revelations came shortly after the Economic Policy Institute presented an analysis indicating a 1,085% surge in CEO compensation since 1978, compared to a mere 24% rise in the pay of average U.S. workers.
The tax legislation backed by Trump and the GOP led major corporations to indulge in stock buybacks, significantly benefiting corporate executives who receive most of their compensation in stock form.
“President [Joe] Biden and the Democrats in Congress are dedicated to ensuring that corporations contribute a fair share,” the letters stated. “In the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act, we implemented the first corporate tax hike in three decades with a 15% corporate minimum tax. While this raised $222 billion from billion-dollar companies, it alone is insufficient to reverse the corporate tax reductions enacted under President Trump and to ensure equitable tax contributions from corporations.”
“Next year,” they concluded, “Congress has a chance to make substantial improvements to our tax code—to increase the corporate rate, close loopholes, and ensure that large businesses meet the same standards as ordinary Americans who consistently pay their fair share.”
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An economic reporter, Dax Everly breaks down financial trends and their impact on Americans’ daily lives.