Billionaires are easy to hate. And there are several efforts underway to get them to pay their “fair share.” In this episode, Max argues that focusing on taxing billionaires is the wrong discussion and distracts from attaining the tax policy we truly need. Instead of focusing on the individual billionaires, focus on preventing individuals from becoming billionaires. The real story is corporate taxes.

Resources

Legal Information Institute: Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA)

Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: The 2017 Trump Tax Law Was Skewed to the Rich, Expensive, and Failed to Deliver on Its Promises

Tax Policy Center: What is the TCJA repatriation tax and how does it work?

Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System: U.S. Corporations’ Repatriation of Offshore Profits: Evidence from 2018

The White House: White House Office of Management and Budget’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Releases End of Year Deregulatory Stats: Showing the Trump Administration Has Best Deregulation Year in History

The Washington Times: Impact of Trump’s 646 deregulatory actions diluted by tariffs, executive orders

Federal Reserve Bank of New York: Who Is Paying for the 2025 U.S. Tariffs?

Elizabeth Warren: Warren Pushes Giant Corporations to Give Billions in Tariff Refunds Back to Consumers

npr: Companies are getting tariff refunds of up to $2 billion from the Trump administration

CNN: Corporate America got billions of dollars in tariff refunds. Where’s your cut?

Congressional Budget Office: Monthly Budget Review: February 2026

Wall Street Journal: Tariff Revenue Exceeded Corporate Taxes as 2025 Ended

npr: Proposed California wealth tax sparks debate: Will billionaires leave the state?

The New York Times: Founders Wade Into the Wealth Tax Debate

Democratic Socialists of America

Democracy: A Journal of Ideas: Why Corporations Must Pay More

UNFTR Resources

Video: Why Taxing Billionaires Won’t Save Us.

Essay: Don’t Tax the Rich. Cut Them Off.

Episode: Updated Tax Evasion Figures.

Video: On The Record 8-17-26 (The AI Bubble is About to Burst | Corporate Control of Trump.)

5 Non-Negotiables

--

If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: unftr.com/rate and follow us on Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at unftr.com.

Become a member at unftr.com/memberships.

Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at shop.unftr.com.

Visit our bookshop.org page at bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations.

Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at unftr.com/accessibility

Billionaires are easy to hate. And there are several efforts underway to get them to pay their &ldquo;fair share.&rdquo; In this episode, Max argues that focusing on taxing billionaires is the wrong discussion and distracts from attaining the tax policy we truly need. Instead of focusing on the individual billionaires, focus on preventing individuals from becoming billionaires. The real story is corporate taxes.
Resources
Legal Information Institute: <a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/tax_cuts_and_jobs_act_of_2017_(tcja)">Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA)</a>
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities: <a href="https://www.cbpp.org/sites/default/files/3-5-24tax.pdf">The 2017 Trump Tax Law Was Skewed to the Rich, Expensive, and Failed to Deliver on Its Promises</a>
Tax Policy Center: <a href="https://taxpolicycenter.org/briefing-book/what-tcja-repatriation-tax-and-how-does-it-work">What is the TCJA repatriation tax and how does it work?</a>
Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System: <a href="https://www.federalreserve.gov/econres/notes/feds-notes/us-corporations-repatriation-of-offshore-profits-20190806.html">U.S. Corporations&rsquo; Repatriation of Offshore Profits: Evidence from 2018</a>
The White House: <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/2025/12/32750/">White House Office of Management and Budget&rsquo;s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs Releases End of Year Deregulatory Stats: Showing the Trump Administration Has Best Deregulation Year in History</a>
The Washington Times: <a href="https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2026/apr/9/impact-donald-trumps-646-deregulatory-actions-diluted-tariffs/">Impact of Trump&rsquo;s 646 deregulatory actions diluted by tariffs, executive orders</a>
Federal Reserve Bank of New York: <a href="https://libertystreeteconomics.newyorkfed.org/2026/02/who-is-paying-for-the-2025-u-s-tariffs/">Who Is Paying for the 2025 U.S. Tariffs?</a>
Elizabeth Warren: <a href="https://www.warren.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/warren-pushes-giant-corporations-to-give-billions-in-tariff-refunds-back-to-consumers/">Warren Pushes Giant Corporations to Give Billions in Tariff Refunds Back to Consumers</a>
npr: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/08/16/nx-s1-5930384/companies-are-getting-tariff-refunds-of-up-to-2-billion-from-the-trump-administration">Companies are getting tariff refunds of up to $2 billion from the Trump administration</a>
CNN: <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/05/economy/companies-got-tariff-refunds-wheres-your-cut">Corporate America got billions of dollars in tariff refunds. Where&rsquo;s your cut?</a>
Congressional Budget Office: <a href="https://www.cbo.gov/system/files/2026-03/61978-MBR.pdf">Monthly Budget Review: February 2026</a>
Wall Street Journal: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/stock-market-today-dow-sp-500-nasdaq-01-09-2026/card/tariff-revenue-exceeded-corporate-taxes-as-2025-ended-JXmU1RaY6LQHm1d1zDRG">Tariff Revenue Exceeded Corporate Taxes as 2025 Ended</a>
npr: <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/08/20/nx-s1-5935597/california-billionaires-wealth-tax-sergey-brin">Proposed California wealth tax sparks debate: Will billionaires leave the state?</a>
The New York Times: <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/17/business/dealbook/cuban-founders-california-wealth-tax.html">Founders Wade Into the Wealth Tax Debate</a>
<a href="https://program.dsausa.org/">Democratic Socialists of America</a>
Democracy: A Journal of Ideas: <a href="https://democracyjournal.org/magazine/81/why-corporations-must-pay-more/">Why Corporations Must Pay More</a>
UNFTR Resources
Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/cKDaQG_ZQ2U">Why Taxing Billionaires Won&rsquo;t Save Us</a>.
Essay: <a href="https://www.unftr.com/blog/dont-tax-the-rich-cut-them-off">Don&rsquo;t Tax the Rich. Cut Them Off</a>.
Episode: <a href="https://www.unftr.com/episodes/unftr93">Updated Tax Evasion Figures</a>.
Video: <a href="https://youtu.be/GCKq2-jE0ME">On The Record 8-17-26 (The AI Bubble is About to Burst | Corporate Control of Trump.)</a>
<a href="https://www.unftr.com/5nn">5 Non-Negotiables</a>
--
If you like #UNFTR, please leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts and Spotify: <a href="https://unftr.com/rate">unftr.com/rate</a> and follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Unfucking-The-Republic-102319714930389">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/unftr.com">Bluesky</a>,&nbsp;and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/unftrpod/">Instagram</a> at @UNFTRpod. Visit us online at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/">unftr.com</a>.
Become a member at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/memberships">unftr.com/memberships</a>.
Buy yourself some Unf*cking Coffee at <a href="https://shop.unftr.com/">shop.unftr.com</a>.
Visit our bookshop.org page at <a href="https://bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod">bookshop.org/shop/UNFTRpod</a> to find the full UNFTR book list, and find book recommendations from our Unf*ckers at <a href="https://bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations">bookshop.org/lists/unf-cker-book-recommendations</a>.
Access the UNFTR Musicless feed by following the instructions at <a href="https://www.unftr.com/accessibility">unftr.com/accessibility</a>

Unf*cking The Republic® (UNFTR) is dedicated to progressive politics, leftist economic theories, and social justice in the United States. Join us for deep dives into socialism, labor rights, climate justice, and the fight against inequality. Whether you're curious about Marxist ideas, modern social movements, or progressive policies, UNFTR delivers thoroughly sourced critiques, analyses, and interviews with the historical context mainstream media won't provide. Subscribe for informative and unabashedly progressive coverage of the leftist political and economic landscape.

Unf*cking The Republic&reg; (UNFTR) is dedicated to progressive politics, leftist economic theories, and social justice in the United States. Join us for deep dives into socialism, labor rights, climate justice, and the fight against inequality. Whether you're curious about Marxist ideas, modern social movements, or progressive policies, UNFTR delivers thoroughly sourced critiques, analyses, and interviews with the historical context mainstream media won't provide. Subscribe for informative and unabashedly progressive coverage of the leftist political and economic landscape.