Vermont Senator and Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has released his tax return, and it shows the ugly, hypocritical truth about America’s most popular socialist. Namely, he doesn’t pay taxes at the outrageous rates he advocates, and he doesn’t give much money to charity.
According to The Free Thought Project, Sanders has proposed new tax rates for the rich ranging from 37% to 52%. His tax return shows earnings of over $200,000, which puts him in the top 5% of U.S. wage earners. That would put him among the elite company that Sanders insists should shoulder the tax burden.
So does Sanders pay the sort of taxes he wants you and I to pay? Not quite. Sanders could have taken the standard married deduction, $12,400, thereby ensuring he pays his fair share. However, Sanders had the gall to use the perks of the capitalist system and ITEMIZED! He came up with a total of $56,377 in deductions, and instead of paying taxes to make America a better place, he actually received a refund of over $4,000. Sanders’ effective tax rate was a paltry 13.5%, nowhere near the rate he thinks rich people like him should pay.
Now, one could argue that Sanders is just following the rules and that doesn’t make him a bad guy, but another tidbit from his tax return surely makes him a hypocrite. The return states that he only donated $8,350 to charity last year, a measly 4% of income.
If you think Sander’s stingy giving is a problem, don’t worry. If he becomes President, he’ll be sure you make up for his giving deficit.