Jeff Bezos, you were so close to making a good point

Source: TechCrunch

Bezos calls for zero federal income tax for the bottom half of earners

On Wednesday morning, Jeff Bezos said in an interview on CNBC that Americans in the bottom half of incomes should not pay federal income tax.

“Why is a nurse in Queens who makes $75,000 a year paying more than $1,000 a month in taxes? That’s $1,000 that could help with rent, or groceries, or anything… To me, it’s kind of absurd that we’re doing this. We shouldn’t be asking this nurse in Queens to send money to Washington. They should be sending her an apology.”

Bezos argued that the lower half of earners pay only about 3 % of total federal taxes, meaning a nurse earning roughly $75 K and paying around $12 K in taxes is “struggling to make ends meet while devoting about 16 % of her salary to taxes that barely move the needle in Washington.”

Tax Burden on the Bottom Half

• Bezos cited the Queens nurse as an example of how the tax system disproportionately affects lower‑income workers.
• He suggested that the bottom half of Americans should pay zero federal income tax.

Bezos on the Wealthy and Tax Rates

• A 2007–2018 ProPublica investigation showed Bezos’ wealth grew by $127 billion, yet he reported only $6.5 billion in income, resulting in a tax payment of about $1.4 billion—roughly a 1 % effective tax rate.
  (Source: ProPublica investigation)
• The ultra‑wealthy often avoid taxes on unrealized capital gains; they can borrow against stock holdings without triggering a taxable event.
• Bezos noted that “the United States has a spending problem, not a revenue problem,” and that “we already have the most progressive tax system in the world.” He claimed the top 1 % of taxpayers pay 40 % of all tax revenue, while the bottom half pays only 3 %.

Reactions and Context

• CNBC reporter Andrew Ross Sorkin asked Bezos to comment on Senator Elizabeth Warren’s criticism that the wealthy pay lower rates than many middle‑class Americans.
• Bezos responded that increasing his tax bill would not solve the underlying issues:

  “If people want me to pay more billions, then let’s have that debate. But don’t pretend that’s going to solve the problem. You could double the taxes I pay, and it’s not going to help that nurse in Queens.”

Broader Implications

• The discussion highlights the gap between tax policy and public services such as reliable public transit, adequately funded schools, and affordable healthcare.
• Bezos concluded that a truly progressive tax system must ensure that collected revenue translates into tangible benefits for citizens, rather than being lost to administrative overhead.

Tweet referencing the interview:
Shay Boloor (@StockSavvyShay) – May 20 2026 – “Bezos says the bottom half of Americans should pay zero federal income tax. #taxreform”