Hillary Clinton’s Stance on Taxes: A Look at the Presidential Candidate’s Voting Record

Curious about how 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton feels about taxes? To gain a clear view, it’s just as important to consider her historical approach to tax legislation as it is to look at her official stance today. Here’s a look at her record.

Changes to the Income Tax

Although a graduated income tax is not the best way to support the middle class, Clinton is a proponent of taxing the wealthy but giving tax cuts to middle America. At a primary debate in Philadelphia during the 2008 presidential race, Clinton stated that she would not raise the income tax on anyone who makes under $250,000 a year. However, she then voted yes on a 2008 Senate bill proposing an increase in the tax rate for people earning over $1 million, proving her lack of support for decreasing taxes across the board.

Tax Benefits for Families and Students

Clinton also thinks tax credits are a good way to support students and middle-class families. In 2001, she voted to increase tax deductions for college tuition to make college more affordable for middle- and lower-class students. In 2006, she pushed for increased student aid during the 2006 Take Back America Conference.

Clinton’s stance on tax benefits for families doesn’t end with student aid. In 2001, she voted to reduce the marriage tax penalty, a higher tax rate for married couples than two single individuals, depending on income levels. In 2003, she voted in favor of tax credits that would help low-income families in economically distressed areas afford their own homes. In her 2006 book, “It Takes a Village,” Clinton mentions the importance of increasing tax credits to help with the expenses of a child’s first year of life. And in 2008, her campaign included proposals to make health insurance more affordable.

Corporate Taxes

Clinton encourages corporations to think about society and the environment. In 2005, she voted to repeal a tax subsidy that rewarded companies for moving U.S. jobs offshore in an effort to keep Americans working, and the year before that, she supported the American Jobs Creation Act, which gave tax breaks to multinational corporations to help lower unemployment. In 2007, she voted to end a big-oil tax break and put that $50 billion toward an energy fund instead, even though lower taxes for corporations can help create jobs.

Personal Taxes

In her bid for the 2016 presidency, Clinton’s own tax habits have come under scrutiny. She has been criticized for setting up trusts in order to avoid estate taxes. However, she also reportedly pays a higher tax rate than most wealthy individuals in her income bracket by not seeking as many tax loopholes.

In summary, Hillary Clinton supports taxes that help middle-class families. She also uses taxes to enact social change. Her voting record has, thus far, lined up evenly with her public stance.

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