Join our Waitlist for Expert Advice!

The Door Is Slamming Shut on a $50 Billion Tax Loophole Used By the Superrich The Treasury and IRS proposed new tax regulations Monday targeting the über-wealthy.

By Geoff Weiss

Key Takeaways

  • The US Treasury and IRS are closing a tax loophole used by the über-wealthy.
  • They're cracking down on "opaque" business structures that "inflate" deductions.
  • The proposed regulations could generate $50 billion in new tax revenue, the agencies said.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Images via Business Insider
Janet Yellen.

This article originally appeared on Business Insider.

The Treasury and IRS proposed new tax regulations Monday targeting the über-wealthy that they say could result in $50 billion in new tax revenue over the next decade.

The initiative seeks to crack down on "related party basis shifting transactions" — or the use of "opaque business structures to inflate tax deductions," a Treasury press release said.

The department said an example of that is when a single company operating as different legal entities shifts the tax basis from a property that doesn't generate deductions to one that does.

These kinds of tax loopholes contribute to the $160 billion annual tax gap among the top 1% of filers, the Treasury said.

Filings from pass-through businesses with more than $10 million in assets increased 70% from 2010 to 2019, the Treasury said, as audits fell from 3.8% to 0.1% over the same period.

The multistage initiative follows a year of research, the Treasury said, and proposes several new rules, including increasing reporting for basis-shifting transactions.

The agencies also issued a ruling to inform taxpayers that certain transactions will be challenged for lacking economic substance.

"Treasury and the IRS are focused on addressing high-end tax abuse from all angles," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement, noting that "resources from President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act" have helped combat "long-standing abuses."

The agencies said they will consider public comments before issuing final rules.

Geoff Weiss

Former Staff Writer

Geoff Weiss is a former staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

You Have One Month Left to Buy a House, According to Barbara Corcoran. Here's Why.

"If you are planning on waiting a year and seeing where interest rates go, you are out of your mind," Corcoran said.

Business News

Meta Fires Employee Making $400,000 Per Year Over a $25 Meal Voucher Issue

Other staff members were fired for the same reason, per a new report.

Franchise

The McRib Is Back, But Only at Select McDonald's — Here's Where to Find It

This scarcity is nothing new. In 2022, McDonald's announced a "Farewell Tour" for the McRib, suggesting that it might be the last time customers could get their hands on it.

Business News

These 3 Side Hustles Make the Most Money While Working Fewer Hours, According to a New Survey

The survey also found that having a side hustle doubled as a path to becoming more employable.

Thought Leaders

These 3 Trends Will Change What It Means to Be an Entrepreneur in 2025

Here are three entrepreneurship trends from the new Global Entrepreneurship Monitor report that are changing the landscape for the future.

Business Ideas

63 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2024

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2024.