Issues like the SALT cap are hated by suburban GOPers. It will hurt them again and again until it's fixed.

That would help middleclass people, but screen out people that buy luxury cars. And deductions for car rentals should be reduced, but not completely eliminated, that would encourage people to buy and fully own cars.

Only one problem: Auto loan deductions went on Schedule A. You have to spend a LOT of money in Schedule A-focused ways to be allowed to deduct any of it.

If we had a system where working-class people could take both the standard deduction and Schedule A, that would really help the common man.

before he lied to them?

Ah well.

I would like some reputable polling operation to ask Trump's most devoted followers if they were fans of his "Apprentice" show. I'm guessing a strong correlation.

That show was on air for 10 or 12 years, and apparently Trump was presented as strong, all-knowing, decisive --- basically everything he's not (hence the irony of the name "reality TV&quot .

So I'd bet good money that much of Trump's unshakeable core supporters were long-time fans of the show and persist as seeing him as his TV character and believing everything he says, rather than dealing with the present reality of his wreck of a presidency.

helps. You raise a great question.

I remember one moron calling a radio station wondering why the folks on Law and Order could solve a murder in one hour when then local police took years. I howled with laughter that day

I've never watched "The Apprentice," either. But it seemed that the the show's biggest fans were also the type who thought the World Wrestling matches were real.

That's another great example. They believe the made up shit.

...they think verifiable facts are "fake news."

I've heard it "I saw it on TV so..."

The Con himself cites TV/movie crap as facts. It would be funny if it weren't so damaging.

There are likely many who voted for that tool, who aren't "true believers".
But, the show created name recognition, plus the negative press coverage of HRC led to being getting fished in.

My accountant said that lots of people he's been working with are experiencing 'sticker shock' after Trump promised everybody a 'big beautiful tax cut.'

Seems that was ONLY for billionaires and corporations. The rest of us - well, we get to pay more.

the kook brothers have my $1,000.

MSM was all over it when the Tax Scam Package was being voted on and passed. It was made very clear that corporations and the uber-wealthy would be getting more breaks and that the average joe would be paying more to make up for the shortfall. It was made clear that it was only tax cuts for the rich. It was also predicted that people will freak out when they get their 2018 tax bills after a lenient tax bill for 2017. This was all stated 1.5 years ago. Dont know why more people weren't paying more attention back then.

became effective after the 2016 midterm elections...that's why it seems that we are just now discovering the impacts of all of these 2017 tax cut and jobs act changes. They tried to hide the negative impacts from taxpayers (republican legislature and rump) and also tried to hide that the main thrust of the act was to award their donors.

Pathetic.

We need to plaster the picture of GOP after passing the tax scam with shit eating grins drinking NASCAR beer in the White House garden, over and over and over and over as trumpanzees write checks to pay taxes. The tax scan actually did not take effect until this tax due year. Most people do not get all the tax forms until the end of January, so this month is going to be the awakening. The tax preparer I use, a sweet older lady, but, republican Christian, has seen it up close and have clients screaming at her. And we are just getting started.

We tried desperately to warn them. They didn’t listen. They WOULDN’T listen! Now they’re taking it in the shorts and that’s just in their tax returns.

I’m really struggling now. I’m seriously trying to feel bad for these folks. Trying HARD to be sympathetic. And I’m not having much luck at it. I always have to work harder in that department. I have a very hard time feeling sorry for the sufferers of wounds that are self-inflicted. Like this case now, with these growing crowds of trump marks. We WARNED them! Repeatedly! We even gave ‘em an outstanding and brilliant alternative. But no... they just weren’t gonna listen. Now they get to reap what they sowed. It’s unfortunate. But it was SO AVOIDABLE!

I don’t get it. Do people REALLY need to get bashed across the face with a flaming 2x4 before they finally learn this? And what happens a few more years from now, when the next republi-CON starts in with the sweet-talkin’ about how wonderful tax cuts for the rich are - and how that somehow magically trickles down to benefit the little guy?

This shit has been PROVEN time and time again! Ad nauseam! And nobody remembers the hard lessons learned. “Oh THIS time it’ll be different!” The hard sad truth is - it’s the same damn CON job, ALL OVER AGAIN. Only the CONman or CONwoman changes. But the CON job never changes. I sure wish the reaction would, though! Maybe just for ONCE?

of a big part of what's wrong with this country. Super clear after all these years that puke policies hurt most people, yet many keep voting over and over again for the same and worse.

And, only 8 years after the previous disastrous puke president, they elect one even worse (which I didn't think would be possible).

I have often asked people I know the simple question "how much federal taxes did you pay last year?" Hardly any know the answer. Most only go by how much they got refunded or had to pay in. The restructuring of the witholding is going to be hillarious in Trumpland

Most people are ignorant on taxes. They think a big refund is some government windfall.

they tend to vastly overestimate how much they pay.

One of the things Trump and his equally anti-American/dishonest GOP did was reduce the tax take out in paychecks (they did that so that voters wouldn't realize they had been screwed until AFTER the election). As people start seeing they are not getting their usual money back or have to pay more in taxes, people are not going to be happy with the GOP giving away all our tax money to the wealthy

None of them are rich, just working class, middle class.
I can’t argue with them, not having seen their tax returns, but I DO KNOW that in the past, almost all of them have not even mentioned taxes until maybe the first of April, in semi panic, so I think they’re lying.
There’s no way they even did their taxes yet.

But don't worry, the big train will speed around the bend soon to nail them dead in their butts.

When people are getting their asses burned, faking becomes difficult for them.

For 85%-90% of the TRUMP CULT there is no amount of mistreatment, stealing, lying, etc., Trump & the GOP can do to them that will cause them to wake up! The GOP knows this! They have been brainwashed at church to think this is some holy war to save zygotes so forget them flipping sides.

The hope is for new voters & folks who voted before but quit voting to get pissed!

...with NO deductions. I would forego all of it, if trump would just go away.

but it was capped at $10,000.

What really hurts the average American is the loss of personal exemptions that comes right off the top of AGI before deductions (itemized or standard).

...but the loss of the personal exemptions killed me. And it will be the same for many others.

In addition, there was a very widespread reduction in standard withholding from paychecks, to make people think that they were getting a tax break. Many people either didn't notice it, were snowed by it as intended, or just didn't take appropriate steps. (I was in the latter category -- just upped my withholding for 2019.)

interest for equity line of credit that a good number of people used to help for their kids college or medical expenses has been eliminated unless it is used solely for home improvement. Casualty losses deductions are impacted unless they are in an area identified by the President as a disaster area, and charitable deductions are no longer deductible unless you can itemize deductions, which more folks are not able to now with the raising of the Standard Deduction. However, as you pointed out the loss of the personal exemptions affects everyone, it will be especially evident to those who previously itemized deductions, who won't be able to now

They always had to be part of itemized deductions that totalled greater than the standard deduction.

deduction does not make it feasible, thus they essentially lose that charitable deduction because they are not itemizing, and I suspect more people will be donating less because of that.

either way. If charitable contributions are less than the standard deduction, you still make the contribution but don't have to keep detailed records or itemize. I'd think that makes charitable contributions easier, not harder for the average donor.

all the itemized deduction that are less than the standard deduction, and now that they have capped property tax and SIT, along with eliminating in many cases deductions on interest on equity line of credit, less people will be able to itemize who itemized before, and with the elimination of the Personal exemption, in many of those cases they will actually see a tax increase.


Keeping records for charitable contributions is not a major thing, and if one used credit cards, those records can be pulled off anytime

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/has-the-new-tax-law-stopped-people-from-giving-to-charity-2018-11-27

"WASHINGTON – The stakes are always high for charities this time of the year, but the final months of 2018 will be the most important in recent memory.
That’s because nonprofit groups – including thousands of small charities such as the Dayspring Center homeless shelter in Indianapolis – will learn how much of a dent President Donald Trump's 2017 tax bill will put in their donations.
Studies predict the damage to charities nationally will be $13 billion to $20 billion, or 3 to 5 percent, said Michael Nilsen, vice president of communication for the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Charitable giving totaled about $410 billion in 2017, according to estimates by Giving USA, which provides data on charitable giving.
The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act increased the standard deduction that people may take on their federal tax returns and limited to $10,000 the amount of state income, sales and property taxes that could be deducted. The end result, the Tax Policy Center predicted, is that about 16 million returns will itemize deductions for charitable gifts compared with 37 million in 2016.
That, in turn, is likely to cause people to give less, since they won’t be getting the tax break they once did."

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2018/12/26/giving-charitable-groups-bracing-drop-donations-year/2352327002/


and my sense is that is exactly what is happening.

Because of the new tax law I won't be able to itemize deductions this year, and will be paying signifcantly more taxes because of that and because them eliminated the personal exemption. In that case it didn't matter, I contributed my usual amount to charities, with or without the deduction, however, something different happened this time. Usually the charities I donate to at the end of the year wait a few months before soliciting for additional contributions. This time I have been bombarded with additional requests for contributions, which lead me to believe that contributions have dropped off. Now that may be due to the fact that people don't have the extra disposible income, but I suspect the new tax law is having an impact on those contributions.

because, you know, the banks need the subsidy.

used for medical expenses or college expenses, no deduction.

The also cap the amount of property tax plus state income tax that can be deducted to 10K, and in high SIT and property tax states like California, thousands of dollars of deductions will be lost by many people because of that cap, and it will push them into a situation where it won't be able to itemize deduction because it will now be less than the standard deduction. That and the elimination of the personal exemption, and people in those situations will not see any tax benefit, and very be paying more taxes.

She said there were going to be a lot of pissed off people when it comes to their reimbursement check for taxes paid. Sure, during the year they got a little something in their pay checks but the hit comes when they fill out their tax forms looking for a big return. They will end up paying more. They took away deductions that you have been getting for years to pay for the billionaire's gift from, you guessed it, us, the taxpayers, the little people. They've picked your pocket and you were dumb enough to trust Trump and the republicon party. They are an organized crime ring and the sooner the people wake up to that fact the sooner we can correct the damage the crime syndicate has done.

Suck it MoFo's! You voted for it, and you got it.

to see the names of the idiots who believed the grifters and con artists
Only to find out if I know any of the halfwits
Am grateful I don't know any of those people

This is, quite simply the con’s greatest (perhaps only?) lifetime achievement. For the oligarchs in this country, this achievement far outweighs the embarrassment he’s caused. And notice how secretive they are about how this tax scheme is depleting revenues. Finally, they can smell the end of SS and Medicare. The biggest tax redistribution scheme in US history. You do know he’s requested approval for a $1.5 T déficit this year, don’t you?

Even though their taxes may have been cut.

In my own case, I got almost $500 in refunds in 2017.

My 2018 federal taxes (on about the same income) fell by over $600-

BUT they messed up my withholding and I had to increase it to catch up.

Result: about $100 in federal refunds coming this time.

If I hadn't made the course correction, I'd have owed about $300.

Even worse, I live in Virginia.

Because it hasn't increased the state standard deduction, the higher federal AGI means my refund will be almost $200 less.

And the state legislature can't agree on how to deal with the windfall from higher AGI, so we can file returns but the state won't process them yet. Even those that owe the state money!