Stock Markets Crash Over Biden’s Plans to Double Capital Gains Tax
Dow Jones Industrial Average takes hit as news of Biden's plan emerges
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The U.S. stock markets have taken a pummeling following reports this week that Joe Biden is planning to double capital gains taxes.
On Thursday, the Dow Jones Industrial Average made a quick turn for the worse as reports of Biden's tax plans emerged, closing down 321.41 points.
Just before noon, The New York Times reported Biden is seeking to raise capital gains on the proceeds of assets like real estate or stocks.
The plan targets Americans earning more than $1 million and would raise the tax from 20% to 39.6%.
Biden is planning the huge tax hike to "fund child care and education," the newspaper stated.
Bloomberg also reported the proposed hike just 15 minutes after the NYT.
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Bloomberg notes that under the plan:
For $1 million earners in high-tax states, rates on capital gains could be above 50%.
For New Yorkers, the combined state and federal capital gains rate could be as high as 52.22%.
For Californians, it could be 56.7%.
In reaction to Biden's purported proposal, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), a top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee told the outlet, "It's going to cut down on investment and cause unemployment."
Pointing to the 2017 tax cuts under President Donald Trump, he added, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Jack Ablin, Cresset Capital Management's founding partner and CIO, told CNBC, "Biden's proposal effectively doubles the capital gains tax rate on $1 million income earners.
"That's a sizable cost increase to long-term investors.
"Expect selling this year if investors sense the proposal has a chance of becoming law next year."
During a media briefing in the afternoon, a correspondent pointed out to White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki that "the Dow is down about 350 points on reports that the Biden administration is going to propose doubling, essentially, the capital gains rate for high-income Americans."
The journalist asked, "Can you tell us any more about that plan, and do you have any concerns that that would discourage long-term investing?"
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Psaki said that the administration was still working out the details on how to pay for Biden's tax hikes for funding his forthcoming initiatives, but explained, "The president's calculation is that there's a need to modernize our infrastructure, there's a need to invest in child care, there's a need to invest in early childhood education, and making our kids and the workers of the next generation more competitive."
"His view," she reiterated, "is that that should be on the backs — that can be on the backs — of the wealthiest Americans who can afford it."
WATCH:
Bloomberg reported earlier that Biden will propose almost doubling the capital gains tax rate for wealthy individuals to 39.6% — meaning federal tax rates for some investors could be as high as 43.4%. Stocks slid.
— Bloomberg Quicktake (@Quicktake) April 22, 2021
Here’s what @PressSec had to say https://t.co/GJJf2FytRq pic.twitter.com/djzppRn7x8
She added that the view of the administration "is that that won't have a negative impact."
