Two things are certain in life, death and taxes. But are there groups that don’t pay taxes? The government gets money to spend by taxing the people, and there are many types of taxes.
Taxes are important to the economy. Different people pay taxes at different rates. Ideally, high-income earners are to pay more taxes. There are, however, many legal loopholes that people take to reduce their tax liability.
Celebrities live interesting lives, and many of them are high earners. But how do taxes affect them? And more importantly,
Do Celebrities Pay Taxes?
Celebrities do pay taxes. They don’t get excluded from paying taxes on their earnings. They are obligated to declare their earnings to the IRS and file their taxes accordingly.
Since they are high earners, they even pay more taxes. There are, however, steps that they take to reduce their tax liabilities.
What Are The Different Types Of Taxes?
There are many types of taxes. Local governments and the federal governments collect these taxes. The money collected is put in the treasury. Governments use the money collected through taxes to meet their expenses.
Gift Tax
Did you know that you should pay taxes when you receive certain gifts? Any gift whose value is more than 14000 dollars has its tax. It is known as the gift tax. The tax is compulsory when a property gets transferred.
Gift tax is payable mostly on luxury items such as jewelry, expensive cars, cash gifts, etc. The tax rate varies between states. Some gifts have a 40% tax rate.
Property Taxes
You are to pay taxes on the value of a property you own. It is called property tax. Local governments are in charge of collecting property tax. These taxes apply to cars, real estate, houses, etc.
The taxes depend on the property value. High-value properties have high taxes. You can get a deduction on the amount. The deductions apply to mortgages, home improvements, etc.
Death Tax
There is a special tax that you pay after your death. You pay the tax when your property gets transferred to the beneficiaries. It is property or death tax.
The tax is compulsory in many areas; however, there are some exemptions. Some areas tax the inheritance if the amount is more than 5.34 million dollars. These taxes redistribute wealth after your death.
Excise Tax
The government has taxes on some special products. These taxes discourage people from using certain products harmful to their health. They mostly get put on alcohol, cigarettes, and other products.
The tax is called an excise tax. Since the government can’t ban the products, it is harder for people to use them. Excise tax gets put on products that pollute the environment or cause health issues.
Payroll Tax
There are two types of payroll tax. The social security tax and the Medicare tax. These are compulsory deductions that the government makes on anyone who earns a salary or a taxable wage.
The amount you pay depends on the money you earn. If you earn a high amount, you get more deductions. The taxes get used for your welfare, such as medical and dental insurance.
Income Tax
Income tax is the most common type of tax. These are deductions that the IRS makes on your earnings every month or year. The taxes depend on your income level. People pay income tax depending on their brackets.
Some states do not have income taxes. Most states have a progressive income tax. It means that high earners pay more taxes than low earners.
Sales Tax
Sales tax is the amount you pay when buying any good or service. The tax is a percentage of the product. Sales tax normally gets charged at a flat rate. The tax is different across the states. Some areas call the tax a Value Added Tax or VAT.
Some special goods don’t have a sales tax. Some states do not have statewide sales taxes.
Here Are Some Tips For You To Reduce Your Tax Liability
Did you know that it is possible to reduce your tax liability? You can take certain legal steps to minimize your nominal tax amount.
Starting a Business
You can reduce your tax liability by starting a business. By starting a business, you get access to many tax reduction benefits. These mostly amount to your expense to the business. Business expenses reduce your tax amount.
There are other tax deductions if you run the business from your home. These are home office allowances. They are utilities like internet, electricity, water, etc.
Retirement Plan Contributions
Did you know that you can reduce your tax amount by contributing to your employee retirement funds? The amounts you contribute toward your 401K get excluded from taxes. You should, therefore, increase your contributions to start paying fewer taxes.
Aside from contributing to your 401K, you can also contribute toward other employee benefits. Any amount you put toward your benefits is free from taxes.
Investing in Municipal Bonds
By lending money to your local government. You should, therefore, invest in municipal bonds.
These are secure investments that have low default rates. The government issues these bonds at a risk-free rate of return. The interest rate might be low, but you do not pay taxes on returns. Instead, you make more money on premiums.
Tax Claim Credit
These are tax refunds that the government issues to special groups. These tax refunds mostly get issued to low-income earners who have children.
The refund amount depends on the number of children you have. The maximum amount is 6935 dollars for three or more children.
HSA Contribution
You can reduce the amount you pay in taxes by investing in a Health Savings Account. It is a contribution you make to your healthcare plan. In many cases, your employee matches your contribution toward the plan.
Any amount you contribute to your Health Savings Account is tax allowable. You can have a monthly contribution of $7200 for people with families.
Capital Investments
These are investments that mature after more than five years. The gain on capital enjoys little or no taxes.
The highest amount you can get taxed on capital gains is 20%, and the lowest is 0%. It is a great way of reducing taxes while making money.
The Role Of Taxes In The Economy
Taxes are vital in the economy. They play an important part in the running of the country. Without taxes, the government would not have the capacity to function. So, what role do they play?
Healthcare
Taxes help the local and federal governments provide essential health care services. All government hospitals rely on taxes to function. Taxes enable the government to buy the necessary equipment, stock the hospitals, and even pay salaries.
The amounts also get used to maintain the infrastructure that allows these health institutions to function. Taxes are, therefore, important for health services.
Education
Collecting taxes enables the government to run public schools and offer public education. These schools rely on government funding. The government gets these funds through taxes.
Government schools can fund their programs and employ staff when the government collects taxes. Without funding, the schools get forced to cut programs such as sports and arts, which isn’t good for the kids.
Public Services
The government can provide key public utilities when it collects taxes. These public services include water, electricity, public transport, and other services.
The government uses tax money to maintain the infrastructure for public services. It includes water systems, repairing roads, servicing buses and trains, etc. Taxes are therefore important as they help the government provide essential services.
Redistribute Income
One of the biggest roles of tax in the economy is redistributing income. The role is debatable, considering that the wealthiest folks tend to pay the lowest income tax.
How do taxes reduce income inequality? Many good economies use a progressive tax system. It is a system that ensures that you pay taxes depending on your income level. The highest earners pay the most taxes.
National Debt
The government uses taxes to settle the national debt. It happens when a country has an unfavorable balance of trade with another. It leaves the country with a trade deficit. Taxes allow the government to pay its debts to other countries.
Social Welfare
Taxes enable the government to care for underprivileged and endangered groups. The government can give food stamps and provide cheap housing to poor people. It also helps cover unemployment relief for people who don’t have jobs.
Conclusion
Do celebrities pay taxes? Yes, they do. This post examines how the tax system works and how celebrities are able to get away with not paying taxes.
Different groups pay different rates of taxes; ideally, high-income people pay higher taxes. However, there are several legal loopholes that people use to lower their tax liability.
