Trump considers there to be no taxes on military, police and firefighters

(Bloomberg) — Donald Trump said he would consider exempting police officers, firefighters, active-duty military personnel and veterans from paying taxes, the Republican candidate’s latest campaign idea to give tax breaks to key groups of supporters.

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“It’s something I would think about,” Trump said in response to a question about excluding first responders and military personnel from tax bills on an online Keeping With Tyrus program that aired Friday.

“You’re like my inspector there, but yes. I mean, something needs to be done,” he said. “It’s almost an incentive to attract people’s interest.”

The idea of exempting military personnel and first responders from taxes is the latest in a long list of tax proposals the former president talked about while campaigning against Democrat Kamala Harris. He pledged to eliminate taxes on indirect wages, overtime and Social Security benefits. Trump did not provide further details about the military’s tax exclusion. All of these ideas would require congressional approval to become law.

The idea of no taxes on military and first responders could be among the biggest new tax cuts he has discussed so far, exempting more than 20 million people from paying federal taxes. There are about 18 million living veterans in the U.S., about 1.3 million active-duty soldiers, approximately 1 million police officers in the U.S. and more than 300,000 professional firefighters, according to various estimates.

The US offers a broad tax exemption to the military, but this is largely limited to people serving in active combat zones.

Tax ideas

In recent months, Trump has rolled out a steady stream of politically beneficial tax cut plans, focused on key constituencies, as a way to appeal to voters in an extremely tight election — particularly, low- and middle-income Americans frustrated by high prices. The Republican candidate has rejected such a wide range of tax proposals that even his own advisers are unsure which ones he intends to approve if elected.

Trump is also campaigning to extend the tax cut first approved when he was president. Large parts of that law, including lower tax brackets for families and deductions for small businesses, are set to expire at the end of 2025. Trump also pledged to further reduce the corporate rate from 21% to 15% and expand the state and local tax rate. . tax deduction, a popular write-off in New York and California, where Republicans face close House elections to maintain their House majority.

Economists have warned that his policy portfolio could increase federal debt, adding as much as $15 trillion to the debt over the next decade, according to an estimate from the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget. Trump claims that economic growth and energy production would offset lost tax revenue.

Harris also proposed a series of tax proposals, including expanding the child tax credit, increasing deductions for startups and ending payroll taxes. The vice president says she would offset those costs by increasing taxes on corporations, investors and wealthy Americans.

School Security

Trump, in Friday’s interview, also suggested that military personnel should become teachers when asked about measures to protect schools.

“And as for teachers who are in the military and are teachers, they leave the military and become history teachers,” Trump said. “They are in the room and they know the students and they know how to use a gun. You can’t have people who have no idea what to do with guns.”

Some states, including Iowa and Tennessee, have passed laws allowing teachers to carry concealed weapons on school campuses, a controversial move that has faced widespread criticism from teachers unions and some parents who say it will make schools less safe.

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