California recently certified a ballot measure for November that would impose a one-time 5% levy on billionaires' wealth, paid over five years, aiming to raise about $20 billion annually for health care, food aid and schools. The Center for Land Economics released a report estimating California's total land value at roughly $8.14 trillion, verified through three separate methods, and argues this dwarfs the state's billionaire wealth base by about eightfold. The report notes six named billionaires already hold substantial wealth outside the state's reach, illustrating the mobility of that wealth compared to land.
blog.landeconomics.org
· 2026-09-24
A new Institute for Policy Studies report finds that private jets, used by a small fraction of Americans, receive significant taxpayer-funded subsidies and infrastructure support despite their outsized carbon footprint. The study argues that ordinary taxpayers effectively help cover the costs of a travel mode overwhelmingly used by the wealthy.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-18
A new executive order prohibits installing foreign-produced bulk-power system equipment deemed a national security threat, explicitly naming battery energy storage systems, inverters and transformers. This follows earlier measures including 2022 tax credit restrictions tied to sourcing of battery minerals and components, a 2025 rule requiring 55% non-Chinese materials for storage projects starting in 2026, and tariffs on batteries that rose to 25% from 7.5% in January.
technologyreview.com
· 2026-09-10
Several U.S. states that previously granted multi-decade tax exemptions to lure data center investments from Amazon, Meta and Google are now reconsidering or rolling back those deals. The reversal follows growing public backlash over the facilities' strain on local resources and limited job creation relative to the tax revenue forgone.
wsj.com
· 2026-09-09
A Walmart Business survey of over 500 decision-makers at companies with 10 to 500 employees found that 37% spend four to seven hours per week on routine purchasing tasks like comparing prices, placing orders and reconciling invoices. The survey also revealed that 87% of businesses juggle two to five suppliers just for everyday supplies, from office goods to breakroom snacks to tech accessories.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-09-02
Economists behind a paper titled 'The AI Layoff Trap' argue that when firms automate to cut costs, each captures the savings but only bears part of the resulting drop in consumer demand caused by worker displacement, with the rest hitting competitors. This creates a competitive dynamic where rational firms keep automating even though the aggregate result is worse for both workers and firm owners than if they held back.
unpopularfront.news
· 2026-08-31
'Coyote vs. Acme,' the live-action/animated hybrid film that Warner Bros. had shelved as a tax writeoff, has now been released to audiences. The film survived cancellation after backlash and efforts to find it a new distributor.
gizmodo.com
· 2026-08-30
An Entrepreneur op-ed argues that small business owners typically leave tax planning until December or April, missing chances to adjust course while the fiscal year is still open. It outlines four mid-year moves—setting owner salary deliberately, reviewing entity structure, coordinating retirement contributions, and using strategies like the qualified business income deduction and the Augusta Rule—that can meaningfully cut a founder's tax bill if done properly and documented.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-08-27
Bill Gates published an essay urging governments to impose enforceable rules on AI, including a tax on AI token usage to fund support for displaced workers and protected 'Human Reserved' jobs like caregiving. He said tech executives privately worry about AI's disruptive pace but avoid saying so publicly, breaking from the industry's optimistic public stance.
techspot.com
· 2026-08-27
In a lengthy essay on Gates Notes, Bill Gates outlined ideas to cushion AI's disruption of the labor market, including taxing companies that replace workers with automation and formally designating certain jobs as off-limits to AI. He also voiced qualified support for the 'Pacing The Frontier' open letter calling for a slowdown in AI development, while doubting such restraint could hold long-term.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-08-26
Billionaire investor Mark Cuban has publicly criticized California's Proposition 40, a proposed 5% wealth tax targeting billionaires. Cuban argues the measure would disproportionately harm startup founders whose net worth is tied up in illiquid company equity rather than cash, making it difficult for them to pay a tax based on paper wealth.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-08-25
An Entrepreneur contributor argues that small business owners often wait until filing season to think about taxes, when the real savings opportunities have already passed. The piece recommends forming an LLC early so owners can later elect S-Corp or other tax treatments, since such elections only apply to an entity that already exists.
entrepreneur.com
· 2026-08-24
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