美国有线新闻 CNN 2012-10-07(在线收听) |
The Romney family is a tight-knit clan. Mitt and Anne Romney like many wealthy couples are working to make sure their wealth passes to five sons and grandchildren. A family trust established as early as 1995, has amassed 100 million dollars according to the Romney Campaign. Romney's 2011 tax records show he has set up an Intensionally Defective Grantor Trust, or IDGT, also known by its nick name, I Dig It Trust. That抯 where grantor, in this case Romney, pays any income taxes on the assets in that trust.
That is a trust that people create where they give assets for future generations, and they continue to pay the income tax on it. So I've given a way in asset, but I continue to pay the income tax on it, which allows me to shift more wealth to the next generation.
What that means is even the investment in the trust gains in value by one million dollars over time, it抯 Romney, who pays the 15% capital gains tax of 150,000 dollars, not his children or grandchildren. In that sense, it's like passing on wealth to the next generation without having to pay gift tax on that amount, and gift taxes have ranged from 35% to 55% since the 1990s. This is a common estate planning strategy for the wealthy.
It's 100% legal and allowed on their internal revenue code, and it is being, it's estate planning technique that's being used by many, many high net worth clients, and not people who have 250 million dollars, but even people 20 million dollars, 30 million dollars.
Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund, a liberal 501C4 group, in its statemant saying, quote, 揌is income tax returns are exhibit A of why we need to reform our rig tax system that favors the wealthy at the expense of working Americans.?
We contact the Romney campaign for comment, but they did not return our calls. The Obama Administration has proposed revising estate planning rules, and one option would be ending this tax benefit.
It would affect estate planning as we know it, I mean, this is something that is commonly done day in and day out, and has been for many years.
That liberal group of Americans for Tax Fairness Action Fund is now calling on Romney to release his gift tax returns. And that will show more details on how much the couple gave to their children and grandchildren over the years and how much they paid .. |
原文地址:http://www.tingroom.com/lesson/cnn2012/10/232313.html |