Responsible Wealth Tax Fairness Pledge

Take the Responsible Wealth Tax Fairness Pledge

Can you believe that the Bush and Clinton tax cuts are still in effect, even as the country is facing its worst economic recession in decades?

Are you curious about your share of the tax cuts?

You can use our 3-minute Tax Cut Calculator to estimate your 2009 tax cuts and pledge to redirect that money toward tax fairness organizing. If you prefer, you can also use our printable 1040RW Worksheet or the "EZ Tax Table" (see below) to estimate your tax cut.

TAKE THE RW TAX FAIRNESS PLEDGE TODAY!

Background:

It’s been nine years since George W. Bush inherited a $5.1 trillion 10-year projected surplus and gave away half of that surplus ($2.5 trillion) in tax breaks, over half of which went to the top 5% of households, the very folks who least needed a tax cut. Similarly, folks in the top 5% got 80% of the benefit of Clinton's capital gains tax cut.

Each year since 1997, upper-income households have benefited handsomely from the capital gains cut passed under Clinton and the Bush tax cuts. In 2008 alone, the Bush tax cuts saved households in the top 5% a total of $110 billion. These tax cuts continue to drain our nation of its capacity to preserve vital services, fund education, invest in research and infrastructure, build a strong and sustainable economy, and assure fairness and opportunity.

Since 1998, Responsible Wealth members and others have calculated their savings from the Clinton and Bush tax cuts and pledged to redirect those tax savings toward efforts to promote progressive taxes at the state and federal level.

Please take a few moments now to estimate your tax savings from the Bush and Clinton tax cuts, and redirect those savings to tax fairness efforts. All you need are 3 rough numbers: your taxable income, capital gains and dividends.

It's time to restore the 39.6% and 36% rates on upper-income taxpayers and end the preferential treatment of dividends and capital gains.

By taking the Tax Fairness Pledge, you are rejecting tax cuts for the wealthy. Make a bold statement that such irresponsible tax cuts don't reflect your values, and that you want to make sure they stop.

1. Take the Pledge:

Yes! I want to take the Tax Fairness Pledge and donate some or all of my tax savings to tax fairness organizing.

2. Figure out how large a tax break you are receiving on your 2009 taxes.
For quickest and most accurate results, use our 3-minute online automatic Tax Cut Calculator

Or you can print and use our 1040RW Worksheet.

Or get a rough estimate using the "EZ" Tax Cut Table.

Enter your total 2009 tax break here:
This is an important part of your participation, even if you don't plan to give this amount away, since we hope to use the total amounts to help with publicity efforts.

$ break: $

This information is only used to create overall statistics about the Tax Fairness Pledge. We never use your personal information without your permission.

3. Consider donating your tax break to groups working for tax fairness.

Enter the amount you want to pledge to support the Tax Fairness Organizing Collaborative:
(Leave blank if you can't afford to donate part of your tax break, but you still want to sign the pledge statement.)

$tfoc:

Enter the amount you want to donate to United for a Fair Economy to support our tax fairness work.

$ufe:

Enter the amount you pledge to donate to other organizations:

$other:

Name of other organization(s):

Payment method for donations to the Tax Fairness Organizing Collaborative or UFE - choose credit card, check or pledge:

Credit card (I will provide my credit card information on a secure site, after I submit this form.)

Check Payable to: Responsible Wealth/United for a Fair Economy

Mail to:
Tax Fairness Pledge
Responsible Wealth/United for a Fair Economy
29 Winter St., 2nd Fl.
Boston, MA 02108

Pledge - We will contact you to follow up.

4. Consider other actions you might take against tax breaks for wealthy people. I/we will:

Contact my Congressional representative and Senators and urge them to roll back tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans.

Write a letter to the editor or an op-ed about this issue in my local newspaper.

Mail the Tax Fairness Pledge to other potential signers (family, friends, business associates). Please send me additional copies.

Contact Information

Email: *

First name: *

Last name: *

Street Address: *

City: *

State: *

Zip code: *

Phone:

How/where you heard about the Tax Fairness Pledge:

(e.g., UFE Website, email from RW/UFE, another publication or website)

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Math Question: * 5 + 3 =

Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.

Issues

Take the Responsible Wealth Tax Fairness Pledge