Musk: Poor to Pay Price for Biden's Call For More Taxes on Rich

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc. - The AP
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc. - The AP
TT

Musk: Poor to Pay Price for Biden's Call For More Taxes on Rich

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc. - The AP
Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc. - The AP

Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla Inc., said that President Joe Biden's proposal to impose higher taxes on extremely affluent Americans will only affect lower-to-middle income groups.

"In all seriousness, I agree that we should make elaborate tax-avoidance schemes illegal, but acting upon that would upset a lot of donors, so we will see words, but no action, Musk said in a tweet.

"Those who will actually be forced to carry the burden of excess government spending are lower to middle income wage earners, as they cannot escape payroll tax," he added.

This came after Biden said during his campaign rally in Philadelphia on Saturday that “It’s about time the super-wealthy start paying their fare share.”

Biden called on union workers to support his reelection bid and called for new taxes on the wealthy and corporations.

While the number of billionaires in the US has risen to about 1,000, they pay some 8 percent of their earnings in taxes, he said.

“They paid at a lower tax rate than schoolteachers, than firefighters, probably anyone in this room. It’s time they paid a minimum tax. I don’t mind them being billionaires."



China Autos Group 'Strongly Dissatisfied' with EU Anti-subsidy Tariffs

Flags of European Union and China are pictured during the China-EU summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, July 12, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Lee//File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Flags of European Union and China are pictured during the China-EU summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, July 12, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Lee//File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
TT

China Autos Group 'Strongly Dissatisfied' with EU Anti-subsidy Tariffs

Flags of European Union and China are pictured during the China-EU summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, July 12, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Lee//File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights
Flags of European Union and China are pictured during the China-EU summit at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, July 12, 2016. REUTERS/Jason Lee//File Photo Purchase Licensing Rights

The China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM) is "strongly dissatisfied" with anti-subsidy tariffs proposed by the European Union, the industry group said in a statement on Saturday.

Manufacturers had cooperated with the European Commission's investigation into Chinese subsidies, but the inquiry had ignored the facts and preselected results, CAAM said in a post on the Chinese messaging app WeChat, Reuters reported.

The EU imposed tariffs of up to 37.6% on imports of electric vehicles made in China from Friday, with a four-month window during which the tariffs are provisional with intensive talks expected between the two sides.

"CAAM deeply regrets this and holds it firmly unacceptable," it said.

The provisional duties of between 17.4% and 37.6% without backdating are designed to prevent what European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said is a threatened flood of cheap Chinese electric vehicles built with state subsidies.

The EU anti-subsidy investigation has nearly four months to run.