Bezos Has Proposed Eliminating Income Taxes For The Poorest Americans

• 21.05.2026, 21:19

The founder of Amazon and Blue Origin said he would advocate for such changes.

Amazon and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos, who ranks fourth in Forbes' global ranking of billionaires with a fortune of $272.3 billion, has proposed eliminating income taxes for half of the lowest-income Americans. He made the statement in an interview with CNBC.

Bezos said the richest 1 percent of citizens pay about 40 percent of all tax revenues, while the low-income population pays a tax rate of 3 percent. "I don't think it should be 3%. I think it should be zero," the billionaire said. He noted that the income tax paid by low-income workers is a small amount of money for the state and said he would advocate for such a change, but did not specify how lawmakers would implement it.

According to a Tax Foundation analysis based on 2023 U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS) data, the adjusted gross income of the bottom half of taxpayers was nearly $54,000, while the top 1% of wealthiest citizens paid at least $676 thousand. The average income tax rate in 2023 was 14.1%. Meanwhile, the richest 1% of Americans paid taxes at a rate of 26.3%, seven times the average rate of 3.7% paid by the bottom half of taxpayers.

The richest 1% of taxpayers accounted for nearly 21% of adjusted gross income in 2023, while paying about 38% of all federal income taxes. The bottom half of taxpayers accounted for 12% of total income, but just 3% of total income taxes paid, CNBC reported.

Bezos' proposal comes as more states with Democrats in power seek to raise taxes on the wealthy. Massachusetts, Maine and Washington have already approved tax hikes for people earning $1 million or more a year. California, Rhode Island, Virginia and other states have advanced various proposals, including a 5 percent tax on the wealthy in California, spearheaded by SEIU United Healthcare Workers West. Several federal lawmakers, notably Senator Cory Booker, have proposed eliminating the income tax on the first $75,000 for households.