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Jeff Bezos wants half of taxpayers in the United States to stop paying the federal income tax forever. The founder of Amazon said so on May 20 on CNBC: that group accounts for just 3% of total revenue. “I don’t think it should be 3%. I think it should be zero,” said the fourth richest man in the world.
The proposal applies to about 76 million households in the lower half of the income scale. According to the Tax Foundation, that group had an average income of $53,801 in 2023 and paid an average of $913 in federal taxes. In contrast, the richest 1% contributed about 40% of all revenue.
What is Bezos proposing, and who would benefit from eliminating the income tax?
Bezos proposed eliminating —not reducing— the federal income tax for the lower half of taxpayers, both citizens and legal residents. His argument: that portion is minimal for the treasury, but decisive for each family.
The measure is narrower in scope than it seems. About 40% of that segment already do not pay this tax thanks to refundable tax credits, according to the Tax Foundation. Bezos proposes that the exemption be total for everyone in that range.
Who is in the lower half of taxpayers?
- Households with annual incomes of up to $53,801 (IRS, 2023)
- Approximately 76 million households nationwide
- Citizens and foreign residents with low and lower-middle incomes
- Many already benefit from credits that reduce their current tax burden
How does this proposal affect the debate over the income tax in the United States?
The proposal cuts across party lines and has already sparked friction. Bezos ruled out compensating for the lost revenue by raising taxes on the rich. “They could double the taxes I pay and that wouldn’t help that teacher in Queens,” he said. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani replied on X: “I know teachers in Queens who would disagree.”
The debate comes as California moves forward with a 5% wealth tax on some 200 billionaires, which would raise about $100 billion. Researchers at ITEP warned that Bezos’s proposal “sounds grander than it is”: the tax code already includes benefits for low- and middle-income earners.