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  • Tell Congress to Block the Trader Tax

    FYI, there is a proposed new tax to be levied on all traders: it's called Bill HR 1068.

    Please read here Info & Sign Petition

    Additionally, if you'd like more info & ideas on what you can do personally, please read the note below. It contains the following:
    -- explains more about the tax;
    -- provides a real-life example of it's impact;
    -- gives suggestions on what you can do to help block the tax;
    -- provides links for more info
    --Please feel free to copy/paste into your own e-mail and send to others requesting support. If you would like a copy of the WORD.doc, go to the
    File Share and click on "Bill HR 1098 letter 022709.doc"


    Why is this important to you as a trader, or to eSignal/QCharts as a provider of charts?

    There is a very real, very significant tax implication to this Bill HR 1068. I believe that it could mean the difference between whether some traders can continue to trade or must go get a different job because they can't afford the additional taxes. I also believe it would be an huge disincentive to new traders trying to learn and break into the trading business as one will pay taxes on transactions in addition to profits. So, in the beginning, when a trader will typically have more losers than winners, their tax burden would be prohibitive to continuing. And, if traders don't continue to trade, they will not continue to utilize charts. So, it's very real; it's very significant; and the impact will be huge to all concerned.

    Please tell your congress people and senators to vote AGAINST Bill HR 1068.

    Thanks for listening.

    Carol



    An Oregon Congressman has proposed a Bill that is detrimental to active traders/investors, like me – and maybe like you – because even if you are not an active trader, if you have a pension, IRA, 401(x), mutual fund, annuity, etc., these added taxes will be absorbed as “management fees.” And, extra management fees paid means less profits/retirement money for you.

    So, I’m asking for your help. I’m passing along some website links which will allow you to sign a petition http://tinyurl.com/c5pywh against the passage of the proposal and will automatically submit an email to your Senators and Congress people. Additionally, please call this wayward congressman; e-mail him; contact your state congress people & senators and let them all know what a horrible tax burden it presents and ask them to vote AGAINST the bill. I know this is asking a lot – and, please know that the impact of this bill on any of you as traders will be immediate and severe. The impact on any of your retirements may be further off in the distance – but it will also be severe.


    The Bill, H.R. 1068 (for the text of the bill, click here: http://tinyurl.com/d4tg5p ), basically imposes a 0.25% transaction tax on the sale and purchase of financial instruments such as stocks, options, and futures. While this may sound minimal, it could amount to a round-trip charge of $50 on a 100-share purchase of stock. For example, say Apple Computer’s stock is trading at $100/share:
    • 100 shares x $100/share = $10,000.
    • Calculating the tax: 0.25% x $10,000 = $25. That’s $25 to buy-to-open, and then $25 to sell-to-close the trade; or $50 for every round-trip trade. And that's on every trade that’s made.
    • The important thing to realize is that this bill adds an additional tax to the transaction.
    • The profits are taxed separately at the end of every quarter!

    What is the direct impact of this Bill? What does this mean in actual dollars to someone like me? As an example, I made 15 round-trip trades in the month of February. Using the AAPL example, above, that means:
    • $50x15 = $750 ADDITIONAL TAX to me for the month of February.
    • Arguably, $750/month ADDITIONAL TAX throughout the year!
    • Amortized for the year ($750x12), that would be an ADDITIONAL $9000 in taxes I would owe!
    • Imagine if your retirement account is hit with this kind of additional tax burden.
    • Finally, realize that the Bill HR 1068 also indicates that the tax will be paid regardless of profit. You win the trade, you pay. You lose the trade, you pay. Kind of like if you sell your house at a loss and pay capital gains anyway. Kind of like your IRA lost 60% of its value last year and now, you’re going to pay even more management fees on top of that.

    Not only is this an huge tax burden, but our newly elected president has gone on record, multiple times addressing the nation, saying he is cutting taxes for those making less than $250,000/year. (Sadly, I’m one of those people.)

    “Middle class families will see their taxes cut -- and no family making less than $250,000 will see their taxes increase. The typical middle class family will receive well over $1,000 in tax relief under the Obama-Biden plan, and will pay tax rates that are 20 percent lower than they faced under President Reagan.” (*)

    (*)See Obama’s website: http://www.whitehouse.gov/agenda/taxes/



    Here’s the help I am asking from you:
    (1) Go to this website where you will find more information on the Bill and how to sign the petition against its passage and to send emails/letters to Congress. Please sign the petition.

    http://www.rallycongress.com:80/no2t...ck-trader-tax/

    (2) Call Congressman DeFazio’s office – 202-225-6416 – and speak with his legislative aide “Auke.” He will try telling you it’s “just 0.01 per $4 – no big deal.” Well, I think he doesn’t understand trading or basic math and what this really means. Please feel free to share my personal example, above.
    (3) E-mail Congressman DeFazio: http://www.house.gov/formdefazio/contact.html
    (4) Contact your state congress person and ask them to vote AGAINST this bill. They DO respond when enough constituents make their voice known. So speak UP. https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
    (5) Contact your state senator and ask them to vote AGAINST this bill. They DO respond when enough constituents make their voice known. So speak UP. http://www.senate.gov/ (see upper right hand corner, “Find Your Senators”)
    (6) Contact your HR Department at work. Ask them what your company is doing to fight this added tax burden in order to help preserve your retirement funds. If they don’t know what to do, please share this letter with them and ask for their support. Yes, it WILL impact your retirement. And, it will impact you whether your company is publicly traded or privately held because all retirement funds are directly linked to the stock market.
    (7) If your company has a bulletin board where you can post items of interest to all employees, please post this and ask people to help.
    (8) Contact/e-mail the financial news agencies asking them to report on this:
    • Cramer: [email protected]

    • Squawk: http://www.cnbc.com/id/22737253/

    • Power Lunch: [email protected]

    • Fast Money: http://www.cnbc.com/id/22408221/

    • Street Signs: http://www.cnbc.com/id/22898571/
    (9) I encourage you to forward this message to any family, friends, co-workers, or acquaintances that will be impacted by this unfair tax. This might include anyone who is a trader/investor, or has a pension plan, 401(k), 401(b), 401(anything), IRA, mutual fund, annuity, etc. Ok, well, that’s just about every legal adult you know, and maybe even some illegal’s. Encourage each of them to please sign the petition http://tinyurl.com/c5pywh and also the rest of the help requested. Encourage them to share this information with everyone they know and ask for help in defeating this bill.

    Thanks for your help!
    Carol

    Ps: below are some comments from several Portfolio Managers you might find interesting, as well as a couple more links if you want more info.

    http://tinyurl.com/c5797k

    http://tinyurl.com/cmdrp9




    Andrew Hart, Portfolio Manager:
    “This is government's method to find a scapegoat for the financial mess and it is likely to backfire. In my view, taxing all trades (wins and losses) will affect liquidity most. In raising the cost of trading many traders, which are small business owners, may stop trading or reduce shares/contracts traded. Reduction in liquidity can have broad implications as we saw in the credit markets in late 2008.”

    Scott Downing, Portfolio Manager:
    “As we have seen in the past, taxes create a shift in supply and demand. If this tax is imposed upon traders, the banks and the brokers will have to lower their margins to compensate for the tax as they try to keep traders in the game. We already know that the banks and the brokers are in dire straights right now, so this is not a good solution to the problem. As the government continues to lend money to companies and take ownership stakes in these companies, it makes most traders want to stay away from the markets because they can't predict the government's next action. The tax will ultimately take us further away from the free market flow of capital that drives our nation's economy, lengthening the current recession.”

    Moby Waller, Portfolio Manager:
    “While certainly there is Main Street anger against Wall Street due to the scumbag Madoffs of the world and for other reasons, an additional tax on active investors is not the answer. A bill like this will actually decrease trading volume and inhibit a potential market recovery into a new bull market that will lift all boats (and 401Ks, etc). It also will not help the troubled financial sector, which is at the heart of much of our current fiscal mess. I actually also would support a lowering (or temporary removal) of capital gains taxes on securities trades (both long and short term) as a means to boost the markets through increased buying activity.”

  • #2
    Thanks a lot Carol for this post.

    I encourage everyone to take just a few minutes to sign the petition and email the CNBC folks if you are in agreement with this.

    -Matt
    ..

    Comment


    • #3
      And I would encourage everyone to call or write their congress person. When I called this morning to voice my concerns, the congressman's office was completely unaware of this bill.

      This bill is in committee with the house ways and means committee. One of the co-sponsors is an influential member of the house ways and means committee.

      If this bill gets enough traction it may be nearly impossible to stop.

      Thanks

      Jim

      Comment


      • #4
        Thanks Jim. I will call them as well. You can go to http://www.congress.org
        * type your zip code in to find your elected officials
        * Click on the Senators & Representatives names
        * click the contact tab
        ..

        Comment


        • #5
          I called Rep. DeFazio's office and left a message asking his legislative aide to call me back. We'll see what happens.

          I talked to a staff person at the CME concerning calculation of the tax on S&P e-mini futures transactions. The value of a contract is 50 times the index, so at an index value of 700, the futures contract is valued at $35,000. 0.25% of this times 2 for a round trip transaction is $175. Each one point move in the index represents $50 so you would have to have a 4 point move to just break even (figuring in the commission and the tax). It has to be a fairly volatile day to capture more than a 4 point move with any high probability of success.

          The CME person told me they are carefully tracking this legislation as they have with earlier attempts to impose transaction taxes. Last week, CME representatives were in Washington making the rounds, and they brought up their opposition to this bill. He said that we should all definitely call our congresspersons and let them know why this tax is a bad idea for small traders and investors. My congressman is on the House Ways and Means committee so I already called him to register my opposition to this bill.

          Let's hope that reason prevails in Congress, for a change.

          Comment


          • #6
            Thanks Bill for the heads-up on this one. You and others have posted links to excellent resources regarding this poorly worded piece of legislation. It does seem to be flying low under the public's radar.

            In addition to individually calling our own representatives, I figured I should spread the word so others could do the same. I have sent emails to all the people I subscribe to (newsletter publishers) and also to all the CNBC email addresses I could find. I am hoping Fast Money will pick it up. At least they seemed interested enough to send me an auto-reply... (sarcasm intended.) Anyway if Dylan Ratigan mentions email from Tom in North Carolina about HR 1068, we'll all know it got through. I feel like CNBC could harp on this stupid piece of proposed legislation like they harp on other stupid legislation. (Is there any other kind of legislation these days?!?)

            Anyway, flood your newsletter publishers with email and calls about this ridiculous bill. If enough people tell enough people who tell their congresspeople and senators we have a good chance of stopping this idiocy.

            Tom

            Comment


            • #7
              In case you missed it, DeFazio was on CNBC late this afternoon. Rebecca Jarvis asked him about how this bill would hurt the small investors and traders... he essentially said we don't contribute to the economy.

              Here's the video of the interview if you want your blood to boil:
              http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1051076486&play=1

              We get the government we deserve.

              lugz

              Comment


              • #8
                You all should watch this if you haven't seen it.

                http://www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=1051076486&play=1

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by lugnutz
                  In case you missed it, DeFazio was on CNBC late this afternoon. Rebecca Jarvis asked him about how this bill would hurt the small investors and traders... he essentially said we don't contribute to the economy.
                  I saw that on CNBC and I had to calm myself afterwards. We have the biggest bunch of idiots elected into positions of power that I have ever seen. They get elected for life apparently and they continue to protect their own class while EVERYONE else (rich and poor alike) suffer. The only "class warfare" is between our government and our people.

                  GRRRRRRRRRR.
                  Tom

                  edit: He clarifies this for us... there are only three types of traders: (1) day traders who don't matter to anyone; (2) Investors of mutual funds in their 401k accounts who never change their investments; and (3) fat-cat Wall Street who caused this... I am glad to be educated now...
                  Last edited by tradertom; 03-03-2009, 04:29 PM.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Just what we need

                    It sounds like this is unlikely to go very far, but I certainly signed the petition. I'm sure my blood pressure shot up a few notches as I watched....

                    There's a good article here:

                    http://tuckerreport.com/2009/02/19/s...ansaction-tax/

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      OK - so I'm trying to give myself a crash course in "How a Bill becomes Law" and it seems that this has been referred to the House Ways and Means committee right now ?http://www.govtrack.us/congress/bill...tab=committees.

                      So the folks we should be emailing, snail mailing and calling are these:
                      http://www.govtrack.us/congress/committee.xpd?id=HSWM
                      right?

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Bill, it certainly can't hurt to snail mail or call the members of the House ways and means committee. However, I believe that unless you are from their district you may not receive much of a response. But don't let that deter you.

                        The best thing we can do is to spread the word as widely as we can to get as many people interested as possible and have those people express their concern to their own local U.S. representatives and Senators. Primarily their representatives as this is a house bill. Should this bill get so far as being voted on and be passed by the house then it would move to the senate for consideration and a vote there. It's a process, unlike an executive order, and we can continue to apply pressure at each step of that process. Fortunately the president does not have sufficient power to levy taxes through an executive order.

                        Keep in mind that thousands of bills are submitted every year and only a small number get out of committee to be voted on. Bills are worked in the hallways and offices to determine if there is enough support for a vote. If enough resistance or a lack of support is found the bill will die in committee. If we can get enough concern raised there won't be sufficient support. That's where your local U.S. representative comes in.

                        I got a call back from Gingrey's office this evening. They realize now that the proposed bill would tax every stock, option and futures transaction versus their initial understanding that only certain transactions would be taxed. The wording of the bill is a bit misleading. However, Gingrey's office feels that this bill will not make it out of committee but they will monitor it and contact me if it does. My senators have also acknowledged my emails, are already aware of this house bill, and have promised to oppose it if it were to reach the senate. However, I live in a mostly republican state which doesn't have as much influence as it once did. We need to get some Democrat representatives opposing it and that will mostly come about from constituency pressure.

                        Fortunately, the odds are on our side. Every representative and senator sponsors or cosponsors quite a few bills every year. They have to in order to look busy. Only a very small number of bills make it out of committee to be voted on and then only a number of those are actually passed and handed off to the other branch of congress for consideration and then not all are passed by that branch of congress. Defazio has sponsored 181 bills since 1991 of which 161 did not make it out of committee. Of the 20 that did, only 10 were enacted. I would certainly hate for this to be one that did make it and I'm not taking it lightly but I'm also trying to keep it in perspective.

                        Regards

                        Jim

                        Comment


                        • #13
                          Another interview with DeFazio here:
                          http://www.foxbusiness.com/video-sea....htm#q=defazio though nothing really new.

                          lugz

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Guess What - It's in Another Bill

                            Check out H.R. 676, "United States National Health Care Act or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act ." Here is an excerpt from Sec. 211 of this bill. Pay particular attention to subsection (c)(1), item (D).

                            "SEC. 211. OVERVIEW: FUNDING THE USNHC PROGRAM.

                            (a) In General- The USNHC Program is to be funded as provided in subsection (c)(1).

                            (b) USNHC Trust Fund- There shall be established a USNHC Trust Fund in which funds provided under this section are deposited and from which expenditures under this Act are made.

                            (c) Funding-

                            (1) IN GENERAL- There are appropriated to the USNHC Trust Fund amounts sufficient to carry out this Act from the following sources:

                            (A) Existing sources of Federal Government revenues for health care.

                            (B) Increasing personal income taxes on the top 5 percent income earners.

                            (C) Instituting a modest and progressive excise tax on payroll and self-employment income.

                            (D) Instituting a small tax on stock and bond transactions.

                            (2) SYSTEM SAVINGS AS A SOURCE OF FINANCING- Funding otherwise required for the Program is reduced as a result of--

                            (A) vastly reducing paperwork;

                            (B) requiring a rational bulk procurement of medications under section 205(a); and

                            (C) improved access to preventive health care."

                            These guys just won't quit. This bill is sponsored by John Conyers D-Michigan.

                            Comment


                            • #15
                              Re: Guess What - It's in Another Bill

                              Originally posted by dcash
                              Check out H.R. 676, "United States National Health Care Act or the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act ."
                              The disconcerting thing is that there are 64 cosponsors of this bill.

                              Notice the use of the words small and modest.

                              I'll also follow up with my local representative on this one but I'm a little bit disheartened. With a democratically controlled house and senate as well as a democrat for president, as evidenced by the passage of the recent spending bill, they'll pretty much get whatever they set their minds to. These guys are out to change and save the world and apparently they believe that everyone involved with stocks and bonds has deep pockets and can afford to pony up whatever they feel is a fair contribution.

                              Regards

                              Jim

                              Comment

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