+
upworthy
Democracy

Angry Americans are sharing how they pay way more in taxes than Trump

Angry Americans are sharing how they pay way more in taxes than Trump

A blockbuster story from The New York Times on Sunday revealed President Trump paid only $750 in taxes in 2016 and 2017 and no taxes for 10 of the 15 years before entering the White House.

The extremely low figures are shocking because, according to Forbes, Trump is worth approximately $2.5 billion.

"His portfolio, which includes commercial buildings, golf properties and branding businesses, is worth an estimated $3.66 billion before debt," Forbes reports. "The president has a fair amount of leverage — adding up to a roughly $1.13 billion — but not enough to drag his net worth below a billion dollars."


To put things in perspective, the $750 Trump paid in taxes is what a single adult with no children who earned $17,900 in 2017 would pay.

In 2017, the median income American household brought in $63,761 according to the Census Bureau. The federal income tax cost for this family would be about $8,600 for couples filing jointly, and $11,670 for singles — that's more than ten times greater than what the President of the United States paid.

Trump's tax payments provide even further evidence of his duplicitous business dealings and are an indictment of a system that treats billionaires differently than working people.

However, to Trump, it's simply an indicator of his intelligence.

In a 2016 debate, Hillary Clinton brought up his attempts to stiff the government on his tax obligations, to which Trump replied, "That makes me smart."

"He's paid zero. That means zero for troops, zero for vets, zero for schools, and health," Clinton said. "And I think probably he's not all that enthusiastic about having the rest of our country see what the real reasons are because it must be something really important, even terrible that he's trying to hide."

The Joe Biden campaign responded to the tax revelations by releasing a calculator that allows people to compare what they pay in taxes to Trump.

"Do you pay more or less in federal income taxes than our "billionaire" President? Use this calculator to find out," the site reads.

Democratic representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez pointed out the blatant inequity in our system that allows Trump to get away with tax avoidance while lower-wage workers foot the bill.

"In 2016 and '17, I paid thousands of dollars a year in taxes as a bartender. Trump paid $750," Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tweeted Sunday. "He contributed less to funding our communities than waitresses and undocumented immigrants. Donald Trump has never cared for our country more than he cares for himself. A walking scam."

The news about Trump's taxes has inspired many Americans to follow Ocasio-Cortez's lead by sharing the amount they pay in taxes and how they earned their money.






















Prepare to get Thatcherized.

It seems that Adele is going viral once again.

Perhaps you’ve seen the image in question previously (it seems to make the rounds every couple of years). But in case you missed it—it’s Adele’s face. Normal, just upside down.

Only it’s not normal. In fact, when you turn Adele’s face right side up, what you notice is that her eyes and mouth were actually right-side up THE ENTIRE TIME, even though the entire head was upside down. So when you turn the head right side up, the eyes and mouth are now UPSIDE-DOWN—and you can’t unsee it. Do you feel like you're Alice in Wonderland yet?

Keep ReadingShow less


Teacher Bret Turner thought he'd kick off the morning with his first-grade students using a little riddle.

On the whiteboard in the front of the class, he scrawled it out in black marker:

"I am the beginning of everything, the end of everywhere. I'm the beginning of eternity, the end of time & space."

One student raised their hand, the first to venture a guess.

Keep ReadingShow less

The gaze of the approving Boomer.

Over the past few years, Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964) have been getting a lot of grief from the generations that came after them, Gen X (1965 to 1980), Millenials (1981 to 1996), and now, Gen Z (1997 to 2012). Their grievances include environmental destruction, wealth hoarding, political polarization, and being judgemental when they don’t understand how hard it is for younger people to make it in America these days.

Every Baby Boomer is different, so it's wrong to paint them all with a broad brush. But it’s undeniable that each generation shares common values, and some are bound to come into conflict.

However, life in 2023 isn’t without its annoyances. Many that came about after the technological revolution put a phone in everyone’s hands and brought a whole new host of problems. Add the younger generations' hands-on approach to child rearing and penchant for outrage, and a lot of moden life has become insufferanble.

Keep ReadingShow less
Parenting

Teenage girl shamed for her ‘distracting’ outfit fights back in a very funny way

“[Because] she has a figure she was told she had to change.”

Photo from Facebook page.

A clever message written on her T-shirt.

A Lawton, Oklahoma, student who goes by the Facebook user name Rose Lynn had the last laugh after being sent home from school for wearing an outfit deemed "distracting." Rose Lynn believes her outfit attracted the attention of school officials because of her figure.

She proved it by posting a photo on Facebook of her modest outfit, which consisted of black leggings, a t-shirt, long cardigan, and boots. In her post, she wrote that she was sent home "because I'm developed farther than the average girl my age," and because she's a "CURVY woman." Rose Lynn also thinks the appropriate response shouldn't have been to tell her to cover up, but to teach boys to "to respect the boundaries of young ladies."

Keep ReadingShow less
Science

She tattooed half her face and you'd never know it. Her skills are just that good.

This incredible medical tattoo technology is giving renewed hope to burn victims.

All images via the CBS/YouTube

Basma Hameed runs a tattoo shop, of sorts...


Meet Samira Omar.

The 17-year-old was the victim of a horrific bullying incident.

Keep ReadingShow less
Education

A school assignment asked for 3 benefits of slavery. This kid gave the only good answer.

The school assignment was intended to spark debate and discussion — but isn't that part of the problem?

A school assignment asked for 3 "good" reasons for slavery.



It's not uncommon for parents to puzzle over their kids' homework.

Sometimes, it's just been too long since they've done long division for them to be of any help. Or teaching methods have just changed too dramatically since they were in school.

And other times, kids bring home something truly inexplicable.
Keep ReadingShow less