For Example: Donna

Donna is the sole-owner of a construction firm with $3 million in annual revenue. The businesses’ costs in a typical year are $2.7 million, including payroll for 25 skilled employees trained at a local vocational school, rent, equipment, and other expenses.

The company’s annual profit is $300,000 – which is passed through to Donna as the sole proprietor. She also receives a salary of $220,000 a year that – combined with the net income from the construction company – gives her an annual income of $520,000.

Because she earns less than $1 million in personal income, Donna won’t pay any more under the Fair Share Amendment, but she and her business would benefit from the transportation infrastructure it will help fund, and the well-educated students it will help prepare for future jobs.

And in the case of selling a business, you’d have to sell a business for much more than a million dollars to be affected by the Fair Share Amendment. When a business is sold, tax is paid only on the increase in the value of a business between when it was purchased and when it was sold—not its current valuation.

Additionally, the seller can subtract many deductions from their taxes, including the cost of major investments like property or equipment. This all makes the likelihood that someone would be taxed more on a business sale of over $1 million extremely low. And if someone earns enough from selling a business to have more than a million dollars in annual income, they can afford to pay a little extra so that we’ll all benefit from a stronger economy.