Warren Buffett: No one would owe 'a dime' of federal taxes if other companies paid fair share

The federal government owns a part. Of the earnings of the business we make, they don’t own the assets, but they own a percentage of the earnings. And. They can change that percentage any year and the percentage that they’ve decreed currently is 21% and I would say with the present fiscal policies. I think that. Something has to give and I think that the higher taxes are are quite likely and. The government wants to take a greater share of. Your income or mine or Berkshires? They can do it and. They may decide that someday they don’t want the fiscal deficit to be this large because that has some important consequences and they may not want to decrease spending a lot. And they may decide they’ll take a larger percentage of what we earn and we’ll pay it. And we always hope at Berkshire to pay substantial federal income taxes. We think it’s appropriate that a company, a country that’s been as has been. As generous to our owners, it’s been the place I was lucky. Berkshire was lucky with here and. If we If we send in a check like we did last year, we send in over $5 billion to the US federal government and of 800 other companies have done the same thing. No other person in the United States would have had to pay a dime of federal taxes. Whether income taxes. No Social Security taxes. No estate taxes. No, it’s open down the line now that’s that’s. I would, I would like to. I hope things develop well enough with Berkshire that we we say we’re in the 800 Club and and maybe even move up a few notches. It doesn’t bother me in the least. To write that check and I would really hope with all the Americans done for all of you shouldn’t bother you that we do it. And if if I’m doing it at 21% this year and we’re doing it at a higher percentage later on. I don’t think you’ll actually mind the fact that we solved a little apple this year.