The Billionaire Tax Scam: How the Ultra-Rich Avoid Paying Up

Billionaires love this tax loophole. You should hate It.

🎥 More about this video:

Jeff Bezos has more money than most of us can even imagine, yet he (and other billionaires) pay less in federal income taxes than a public school teacher. How? Tax loopholes, policy decisions, and one major tax law passed in 2017—the Republican Tax Law. In this video, I break down how billionaires legally avoid taxes, why the 2017 tax law made things worse, and what’s at stake as it’s set to expire in 2025.
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📌 Time Stamps:
0:00 Jeff Bezos and billionaire taxes
0:56 the Buy, Borrow, Die loophole
1:46 how is any of this fair? (it’s not)
02:36 The Republican Tax Law, explained
4:36 billionaires paying more?
5:43 do tax cuts “trickle down”?
07:53 the 2025 tax fight

🔎 Keywords for some sweet, sweet metadata:
Personal finance, money management, budgeting, tax loopholes, billionaires, oligarchs, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, Mark Zuckerberg, income inequality, wealth gap, financial education, video essay, politics, economy, economic policy, tax policy, trickle-down economics, Cara Nicole

[eponymouscharacter]

I’m not from the US but I appreciate this because whatever happens in the US tends to affect everyone else. Just wanted to say: I’m subscribed and always watch your videos immediately when I see them, and this wasn’t on my home page like usual. I had to find it in the subscriptions tab. I hope that videos about this aren’t being suppressed.

[sydluthor]

I enjoy watching your educational essays. I'm finding new ways to manage my wealth better. Thank you for sharing.

[nappyrat]

Trickle down economics will never work due to rampant greed

[desibro]

Great work. Also so dope that you were able to interview politicians.

[jezzarisky]

The 2017 TCJA at the time was estimated to increase the deficit by at least $1.5 Trillion over 8 years. Right now it looks like it has added $4 Trillion to the deficit. Extending or expanding the tax cuts particularly on the wealthy will only increase this debt spiral regardless of much the claims of the need to cut spending. If it takes cutting essential jobs like forest rangers and cutting US aid, then we’re not balancing the budget, we’re making life harder for everyone but the wealthy.

[coolpenguiny]

This is exactly the content I have been looking for. Thank you for putting out this video and helping me understand some of the intricacies that go into these systems. I'll definitely be checking out your resources. I found your video about being house-poor last week and then you were highly recommended by Graham Stephen who I've also enjoyed watching. Your videos are the intersection of all the things that are currently interesting to me and I'm looking forward to being a fan of yours 🎉🎉 keep putting out AWESOME content ❤

[abbyfrancesparker]

Calling performative BS on these Billionaires saying they should pay more taxes. If they truly believe they should be contributing more and they are as wealthy as they are, why aren't they contributing in other ways then? Why don't they take the money they think they should be paying and give it away then? Start a foundation or something? And yes, I'm sure some have, but it's not enough. If you are capable of being a billionaire, you are capable of hoarding more wealth than you ever should. Period.

[McGuire_Services]

So glad you’re spreading the light cara!

[Grdc]

I cannot believe how little views this video has gotten. We should really be talking more and more about the rich paying more taxes everywhere around the world. I pay around 16% of my income in taxes, and that's ok, but the rich should at least pay the same percentage!

[Bariom_dome]

Whem the rich do it, they are savvy financiers. But, I do it. And suddenly I'm the worst criminal who doesn't deserve any compassion for saving myself a few hundred bucks.

[emilyking]

So cool that you got to speak to these politicians

[SeamoosesFTW]

Sorry Cara, but we are getting a worse tax code this year. I’m in the same boat, and this just sucks.

[deepconcealmentholsters]

All these so-called nice billionaires that say they’re not taxed enough can always pay extra. They don’t have to use the system to do their taxes. They don’t have to take advantage of the tax loopholes. But they choose to because they’re all full of shit.

[belovedwinter]

Great video - trickle down economics has been touted for decades - even as far back as the 60s and 70s - as being "the way" to ensure the working class gets better treatment. It has never, and will never work. These rich pursestring-holders do not let go of the money they accumulate. It's all such lies.

[CCPShiny]

Educational and well-researched video—great work! 👏 it’s easy for the finer details on the bad as well as the good to fall through the cracks with all the noise out there—channels like yours are invaluable

[jackfrost]

Wait...I thought SCOTUS ruled corporations / businesses are individual people and have a voice. So, why isn't the corporation being taxed like the average American citizen?

[BINSNEWS]

I liked the video. Make Billionaires pay 60% tax rates & that would solve the issue. Trickle Down Economics never worked.

[alfonshasel]

Trickle down economics cant possible work. How many meals, books, clothes can someone like elon musk possible buy? These are the items where trickle down would work. But buying the nth superyacht or mansion only benefits other superwealthy people.

Or, so i contradicted myself. Trickle down works, but it only helps to trickle down some excess cash to not as super wealthy individuals, who themselves most likely employ minimum wage workers.

[PotterytothePeople]

THANK YOU FOR COVERING THIS TOPIC! This is what DOGE is all about, finding money so they can pass this tax cut and still “balance the budget”.

[squidsolo]

You know, I think the they should look into something like food stamps, or other government assistance. If an employee qualifies for that then the top leaders of the company should have to fund the assistance. I think that would encourage individuals like Jeff Bezos to increase wages so his bank doesn’t bleed dry-through food stamps.