Fair Taxation

The AFT believes that to have a strong democracy which protects the common good, we must fight for the resources each community needs. That is why the AFT is fighting for a fair taxation system that taxes millionaires and billionaires at the same levels as other Americans while also providing tax relief for working families. The current federal tax system disproportionately favors billionaires and burdens the working class, while enabling the ultra-wealthy to exploit loopholes, exacerbating income inequality and resulting in underfunded public services. The AFT believes that it is important to pass legislation like the Cost of Living Tax Cut Relief Act, which would establish a cost-of-living exemption on federal income taxes up to the median cost of living, paid for by a surtax on millionaires..

Unfortunately, the Trump administration has been pursuing policies that make our tax system less equitable. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act cut taxes for billionaires, further exacerbating problems in our tax system, while decimating crucial public services like Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Thanks to this bill, working Americans will end up with less money in their pockets, while billionaires accumulate even more unearned wealth. Read the AFT’s analysis of the reconciliation bill here.

The AFT is committed to supporting our affiliates as they advocate against reckless revenue cuts, lobby to prevent offshoring of tax revenues, and work to eliminate tax haven states and countries where corporations shelter income from taxation. If our government does not have the revenue needed to fully fund and fully staff our public sector, we risk the public losing faith in our government itself.