Candidates release tax reform platforms

By Rachel Scissors

With all six candidates promoting their tax reform policies, the similarities and differences between each candidate’s platform help distinguish between their respective goals. On the Republican half, all three candidates promote lowering taxes, while the three Democratic candidates support higher taxes on the rich and lower on the poor.

Republican candidate Glazier proposes lower taxes as well as up to 45% tax credit for a business using renewable energy. He also suggests ways to save money in other areas to make up for the loss in tax revenue, such as rewarding government agencies that come in under their annual budget. Helf supports a flat rate income tax and an increase in child tax credit by 20%, lowering taxes for families. He also strives to pay the current debt and put limits on future national debt. Brent, the third Republican, proposes lowering the corporate tax to help small businesses and create jobs. She also wants all donations to charitable organizations to be tax deductible.

Democrats Solomon and Cabral propose elimination of the corporate loopholes in the tax code, using the increase in taxes paid by big businesses to reduce taxes for workers. Solomon aims to get rid of the social security payroll tax, repeal the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, and modernize the estate tax. All three candidates want to make income tax more progressive, with Hammoud being the only candidate to propose specific tax rates. He suggests a 50% tax on the top 1% of the nation and a mere 3% tax on the lower class. He also supports an increase in the tax on corporations from 21% to 35%, while also decreasing taxes on small businesses.