How 800 Corporations Could Eliminate Federal Taxes for Every American—If They Actually Paid Their 21%

By Justin Jest – Gonzo Journalist, Reluctant Realist, Connoisseur of Chaos

What if I told you that you—yes, you, the person reading this while clutching your tax bill in sweaty horror—wouldn’t have to pay a single dime in federal taxes if America’s biggest corporations simply paid what they owe?

That’s not a socialist fever dream or some TikTok conspiracy. It’s straight from the mouth of Warren Buffett, the billionaire who actually believes in paying his taxes.

And his math is staggering:

“If 800 of the biggest U.S. corporations had paid 21% in taxes—just what the law says they’re supposed to—we wouldn’t have needed a single dollar from individual taxpayers. No federal income tax, no Social Security tax, no estate tax. Nothing.”

Let that sink in.

Because while you’re getting raked over the coals by the IRS, the biggest companies in the country—the ones that made record profits last year—are barely paying anything.

The Reality: Corporations Are Scamming the System While You Foot the Bill

The current U.S. corporate tax rate is 21%. That’s already the lowest it’s been since World War II. But the real kicker?

Most corporations aren’t even paying that.

Thanks to a labyrinth of loopholes, deductions, offshore schemes, and straight-up accounting magic, the biggest companies in America avoid paying billions in taxes each year.

• Amazon (2021): Paid just 6% in taxes on $35 billion in profits.
• Nike: Paid $0 in federal taxes for three years straight.
• FedEx: Paid a tax rate of 1.3%—far lower than most middle-class workers.
• Netflix: Paid $0 in 2020, despite making $5.3 billion in profits.

Meanwhile, you can’t deduct the money you spend on rent, groceries, or basic survival.

But a billionaire CEO can buy a private jet, classify it as a business expense, and reduce their company’s taxable income?

Cool system.

If Corporations Just Paid Their 21%, The Rest of Us Could Pay Nothing

Here’s what Warren Buffett is saying:

• Berkshire Hathaway paid over $5 billion in taxes last year.
• If 799 more companies of similar size did the same, that would cover the entire U.S. federal tax burden.
• Everyday Americans wouldn’t have to pay a single dime in federal taxes.

Yet, instead of holding these profit-hoarding tax dodgers accountable, the government keeps shaking down working-class Americans to cover the difference.

Your taxes go up because Jeff Bezos pays nothing.

Your roads have potholes because Chevron pays less than you do.

Your student loans aren’t forgiven because billion-dollar hedge funds “can’t afford” to contribute.

We Don’t Have a Spending Problem—We Have a Tax Dodging Problem

Republicans love screaming about the national debt and blaming teachers, social programs, and veterans for “costing too much.”

But they don’t like to mention that:

• The Pentagon has failed every single audit in U.S. history—yet still gets a bigger budget every year.
• Corporate tax avoidance costs the U.S. around $300 billion a year.
• Billionaires pay a lower tax rate than their secretaries.

You know what costs more than Social Security, food stamps, or public schools?

Billion-dollar companies paying nothing.

How They Get Away With It

Corporations use four main scams to dodge taxes:

1. Offshoring Profits – Companies shift their earnings to tax havens like Ireland, the Cayman Islands, and Bermuda, where they pay little to no tax. Apple, for example, stashed $252 billion in offshore accounts to avoid U.S. taxes.
2. Stock Buybacks Instead of Paying Taxes – Instead of reinvesting in workers or paying their fair share, corporations spend trillions buying back their own stock, boosting executive bonuses while dodging taxation.
3. Writing Off Everything – The ultra-wealthy and their corporations deduct everything—jets, country club memberships, even luxury cars—as a “business expense.” Meanwhile, you can’t deduct your rent.
4. Using Lobbyists to Rig the System – Billionaires pay millions to lobbyists to bribe politicians into cutting their taxes even further. That’s how Trump’s 2017 tax law slashed corporate rates from 35% to 21%, saving businesses trillions.

And the result? We’re subsidizing the rich while getting nothing in return.

“But If We Tax Corporations, They’ll Leave!”

This is the biggest corporate lie in history.

Corporations don’t leave because of taxes. They leave because labor is cheaper elsewhere.

Apple still makes iPhones in China because workers there make $2 an hour—not because of corporate tax rates.

And here’s the real kicker:

• Countries like Denmark, Sweden, and Germany have higher corporate taxes than us—yet their economies are thriving.
• Meanwhile, we have 55 corporations paying ZERO in taxes—and somehow that’s still not enough for them.

They don’t want to “stimulate the economy.” They want to hoard as much wealth as possible while you get screwed.

What Needs to Change?

If we actually want to fix the tax system, we need to:

✅ Close corporate tax loopholes. No more offshoring profits or deducting private jets.
✅ Raise corporate tax rates back to at least 28%. That’s still lower than the 35% we had before Trump.
✅ Tax billionaires on unrealized gains. The ultra-rich make billions off their stocks, but don’t pay taxes until they sell.
✅ Enforce existing tax laws. The IRS barely audits corporations, instead harassing middle-class workers.
✅ End subsidies for companies that don’t pay taxes. If Amazon pays $0 in taxes, why are they getting government handouts?

Final Thoughts: The Math Speaks for Itself

Warren Buffett has laid it out in simple, brutal clarity:

If corporations just paid their 21% like they’re supposed to, we could eliminate federal taxes for working Americans entirely.

But instead, the richest people in the world have convinced you that the problem is food stamps.

That teachers make too much.

That universal healthcare is “too expensive.”

Meanwhile, Amazon is paying less in taxes than you.

You’re Not Mad Enough.

And that’s exactly how they want it.