Billionaire Mark Cuban engaged in a debate on Twitter about taxes, claiming he was “proud” to pay hundreds of millions to the IRS.
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When pressed, Cuban said he pays what he owes but dodged questions about paying more than required.
Critics argued Cuban and corporations should pay more to address injustices of Trump’s tax cuts.
“Hey Mark just wondering if you or your corporations pay more than the required taxes in order to pay your fair share, thanks so much,” one commenter wrote.
“I pay what I owe. Tomorrow I will wire transfer to the IRS. $288,000,000.00. This country has done so much for me, I’m proud to pay my taxes every single year. Tag a former president that you know doesn’t,” Cuban said.
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The commenter said, “So why don’t you and your companies pay more than what you owe in order to fix the injustice of the Trump tax cuts?”
“So then why don’t you pay more than you’re required? #PayYourFairShare,” Grabien founder Tom Elliot said.
“Impossible. I was told the wealthy don’t pay anything,” former investment banker and author Carol Roth said.
Political commentator Chad Felix Greene said, “That will cover about 0.00084% of the national debt. So your mandatory payment, at risk of imprisonment, does absolutely nothing ‘for’ the country. You can give every cent you earn to the government for the rest of your life and never fund a single program you support.”
Cuban later clarified he paid $275.9 million in taxes, calling it patriotic.
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However, others noted this barely dent’s the national debt and argued the government wastes money.
“I was wrong with my number yesterday. Got the final number and the wire is complete. Wanted to be accurate. Do I expect all of it to be used wisely? Of course not. But I’m still proud to be able to give back to our country. I’ve said it for years. After military service, paying your taxes is the most patriotic thing we can do,” Cuban wrote.
Radio host Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo wrote, “none of it will be used wisely. It will barely scratch the surface of the interest on the debt. Mark, I trust you more than the government to build jobs, new businesses, more research and development et al. I’m really sorry your burden on the money YOU made through YOUR hard work is so high. It should not be.”
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Cuban had expressed similar views before, saying he didn’t mind higher taxes on the wealthy but was concerned over how the funds would be prioritized and spent by politicians.
The exchange highlighted differing perspectives on taxation, with Cuban portraying it as patriotic but facing criticism for not paying more than legally owed.
“I don’t mind paying more taxes,” Cuban said. “I think after military service, it’s actually patriotic to pay taxes.”
“[B]etter me a target than the guy or woman or family that’s making $30,000, $50,000 or $80,000 a year and grinding out and hustling every day. Come at me, that’s great.”
“The reality is if it’s Bernie, if it’s Elizabeth Warren, they’re going to max out how much they charge us with our taxes and how much we pay. But then what are they going to do with it?” Cuban asked.
He added, “What I’ve yet to see from any of them are the priorities. What are they going to choose first, second, third and fourth?”
