Obama Tax Hikes: Higher Dividend Taxes Hurt Seniors

The Heritage Foundation published a white paper called “Obama Tax Hikes: Higher Dividend Taxes Hurt Seniors.”  Here is the abstract:

“There is much talk in Washington and the media about the impending expiration of the 2001 and 2003 tax relief. Those in favor of letting the tax cuts expire argue that to do otherwise would be merely to reward the rich at the expense of the lower-income population. Lost in these misguided accusations is the fact that higher dividend taxes—part of the tax increase currently scheduled for January 1, 2011—will not only hurt American companies, but penalize America’s senior citizens. Older people hold the most stock of any demographic group, and often rely heavily on dividends to supplement their Social Security income. Penalizing retirees would be one of the particu­larly bad outcomes of letting the Bush tax cuts expire. Time is running out and Congress should act now to make the tax relief permanent.”