President Joe Biden’s latest budget blueprint has ushered in what could be the highest capital gains tax rate since the tax’s inception in 1922. Under the new proposal, the combined federal and state tax rate would surge past 50% in numerous states, potentially positioning the U.S. as one of the highest taxers of capital gains globally.
Biden’s fiscal plan outlines a significant jump in the top marginal rate for long-term capital gains and qualified dividends, pushing it to an unprecedented 44.6%. This proposal places the U.S. well above the capital gains tax rates of economic counterparts like China, which currently stands at 20%.
In states like California, the combined rate under Biden’s plan would hit nearly 59%, with New Jersey, Oregon, Minnesota, and New York also seeing rates exceeding 53%. This stark increase could have profound implications for investors, especially when considering the lack of indexing for inflation. Essentially, this means taxpayers could end up paying taxes on inflationary “gains” that aren’t actual increases in purchasing power.
Moreover, Biden’s strategy includes a controversial move to intensify the burden on estates by proposing the elimination of the stepped-up basis at death. This change would mandate capital gains taxes on inherited assets at the time of transfer, effectively introducing a new layer of taxation that critics argue could complicate estate planning and disproportionately affect family-owned businesses and farms.
The debate around this issue is not new. A similar attempt to remove the stepped-up basis in 1976 was met with significant backlash and was ultimately repealed for being too complex and unworkable.
As the nation faces these potential fiscal changes, the broader economic implications remain a topic of intense discussion among policymakers, economists, and the public. Biden’s proposed adjustments are part of a broader plan to generate approximately $5 trillion in tax revenue over the next decade.
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