Chris Rock Not Opposed To Raising His Taxes: 'I'm Going To Lose The Money No Matter What'

What do Chris Rock and Warren Buffett have in common, besides that they both guest-edited that special issue of Vanity Fair?

They both want lawmakers to raise taxes on the rich.

The comedian of Nurse Betty and Dogma fame told the Associated Press Wednesday that he could stand to pay higher taxes.

"I can pay higher taxes and people can have jobs or I can pay lower taxes and I have my kids' teacher asking me for a loan because she's going to lose her house, which is true," said Rock, who is worth an estimated $70 million, according to celebertynetworth.com. "Stuff like that happens, so I'm going to lose the money no matter what."

Rock joins Buffett and other super-wealthy celebrities in calling to raise taxes on himself. Buffett brought the issue into the spotlight when he penned an op-ed in The New York Times in August, arguing that the super-rich should pay taxes at a rate that is the same or higher than that of the middle class. Obama's "Buffett Rule," inspired by the billionaire investor, became a major selling point of the American Jobs Act and State of the Union address.

Buffett's fellow billionaire and Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates has also recently spoken out in favor of raising taxes on the rich. In October he told ABC News that he's "generally in favor of the idea that the rich should pay somewhat more" than everyone else in taxes.

Along with them, Def Jam co-founder Russell Simmons has also come out in support of leveling the playing field between the rich and the poor -- he went as far as offering to pay to clean up Zuccotti Park late last year in order to prevent a confrontation between Occupy protesters and police. In addition, Russell's friend Jay-Z visited the park and even tried to market Occupy-themed t-shirts.

The notion of raising taxes on the rich also has some more surprising supporters. Alan Greenspan, the former Federal Reserve Chairman and a registered Republican, said in October that he favors letting those tax cuts for the wealthy passed under George W. Bush expire.

It seems most Americans agree the tax code should be reformed to benefit the middle class. More than half of Americans say they think that capital gains -- or profits from investments and property -- should be taxed at the same rate as work, according to a recent CBS/NYT poll. Capital gains typically account for a larger percentage of the wealthy's income.

Comments

[Incisive Rambler]

10:10 AM on 04/05/2013

he's too cool

[JudahBriskin]

08:44 PM on 09/14/2012

Look most of you are all parking up the wrong tree..The problem is DEBT! PERIOD! LOL All Americans lust for DEBT and it's about to fall on everyone's head except the Billionaires who are already dumping US dollars as we speak LOL I'm not wealthy but I have diversified with gold, silver, land and AG..so if the dollar does go I'm STILL GOOD..LOL No matter what we'll never get the debt paid off and it will eventually blow. My advice, get ready, oh and learn Chinese the U.S.A. is now officially the U.S.C ROFL America is about to fundamentally change is SOOOO many ways, so maybe we shouldn't be arguing about taxes and working on becoming SELF-SUFFICENT LOL Screw a job, I'm growing TOBACCO and LOTS of it! LOL I can't wait for the bubble to burst I'm ready to cash in on these metals..LOL

[Debinthewoods]

12:26 PM on 02/05/2012

Its not only the taxes, its also the loopholes. The wealthy can "write off" their tax burden by supporting (donating) to their causes. This places the burden on tax payers to support infrastructure, government functions, the military, and on and on. Its time to talk about a minimum tax that must be paid no matter what donations you can make. Put your money where your mouth is...

[ravencalling]

10:48 AM on 02/05/2012

Why do we not favor fairness across the board, which would include higher taxes on our wealthy citizens. Its not going to hurt them in the least. Those that are opposed to this need to explain the real reasons, other then vapid talking points that are so lame that they seem to say that the only thing we have left to value here in America are our wealthy people. Not teachers, not middle class people, not children, not our servicemen and women, and not our service providers such as police and firemen. These are the working people who provide valuable service to our country, yet they don't seem to be worthy in the eyes of those who want to ensure the wealthiest get the most breaks. If they do accept any assistance, they are deemed even more unworthy, yet when banks and corps get bailouts and CEOs continue to get unheard of bonuses, they are seen in a favorable light. I get the whole not wanting to redistribute wealth in our society, but honestly this is not redistribution of wealth, this is fairness, plain and simple.

[quicks9]

06:01 AM on 02/05/2012

Frank and Fanny Farkel don't need another comedian as an adviser

[jcolvin325]

04:46 PM on 02/04/2012

Anyone that thinks they are not taxed enough can simply write a check payable to the IRS. If these poeple saying they want to pay more are not doing it....they are frauds.

[joekel]

04:55 PM on 02/04/2012

We agree then, you are a fraud.

[jcolvin325]

04:57 PM on 02/04/2012

Thanks for the personal attack. :)

[jvabevofox]

09:12 AM on 02/05/2012

jcolvin325

It is people like like you that bitch about taxes because you are rich enough to not pay taxes and can't figure out why you do pay to much in taxes. Your small mind does not grasp the fact that our tax system favors the wealthy. If the tax breaks really did create jobs would be one thing but over thirty years of historical facts prove that is a complete fantasy like the world you live in. Greed is the most important thing in life to people like you GOP (GREEDY OLD PARTY) phony so called God fearing conservitive Christians.

[RJII]

03:28 PM on 02/04/2012

way to go Chris R. Newfound respect.

[stopnlisten]

12:06 PM on 02/04/2012

GOP must hate this. Gates, Buffett, and other millionaires wanting to pay their fair share to society. It's so anti-Republican.

[Hareega]

01:00 PM on 02/04/2012

and pro-human

[nypapajoe]

10:32 AM on 02/04/2012

America all the government has to do in order to get everyone to pay a fare amount of taxes is to impose on all of its citizens the same mandates that the average person has which imposes serious consequences for those that don't pay their taxes! I'm not an accountant to understand that there are two set of rules here! One for the rich and the other for the rest of us! Eliminate the loop holes and end the theivery! There will always be cheats but at least you eliminate the free pass!

[WakeUp2021]

07:00 AM on 02/04/2012

Chris Rock is a job creator. I think we should do what he says...

[Roelvdwegen]

06:03 AM on 02/04/2012

Scrap the entire bullshit tax system and tax everyone making more then half a million a year 50%. If a person can't live on a quarter million a year then he/she is a spoiled idiot with no sense of how to manage money.

[Bleekerstreet]

06:11 PM on 02/03/2012

Gotta love Chris Rock. Always have and I probably always will. It's funny that he is 40 years younger than I am and he knows how to make me laugh out loud.

[jrtcolumbus]

04:31 PM on 02/03/2012

actually - there seems to be a great deal of jealousy here -- a novel approach and a real radical thought for you tax the 1% to death because they deserve it,,,,,

maybe they have more money than you and the bottom 40% because they have more drive and talent than the bottom 40%,, so therefor they will make more money. get over it. someone will make more than you, it is a fact.

if you continue to raise the tax rate, you will have the bottom 40% operating on your hernia, building the bridge, running the bank,, etc...... because they are smart enough to leave.

flat progressive tax --- and as for these so called "stars",, either movie or sports,, few if any pay taxes since their income is in Caribbean Trusts and kept off shore,,, so who are they to give an opinion,,, especially mr cross who is the arrears on his current taxes. kind of like the pot calling the kettle black ---

[jayded]

07:14 PM on 02/04/2012

yes but what does that have to do with me paying a 30% tax rate and Mitt Romney paying 13%? nobody is jealous, it is fairness....if kids working in McDonalds have to learn to part with a third of their check, as all new members of the workforce learn to do, then why does being loaded afford you the privelege of keeping a greater slice of your pie?

[jrtcolumbus]

11:20 PM on 02/04/2012

no offense, but you are simply are untrained in capital gains or dividend payments,,,, the effiective tax rate on these investments is 56.325%. if you doubt me , go to irs.gov, enter a dummy company and declare a $1,00 dividend and look at the expenses in taxes occurred,,, for both the payee and the receiver,,,mitt is not paying 13% unless he has invested in local tax exempt dividends, i.e. school levies and bonds for the particular state which he resides in. this does not exclude the payee from paying the diffrence, like the school which is you paying additional property tax charges to cover the difference. the net is the same,,, 39.325%,,, the highest in the world,,, and that is why companies are leaving the U.S. ---

as for chris,,,, have him pay his back unpaid taxes first, then he has earned the right to comment.

and no employee at McDonadls pays 1/3 or his\hers of their gross check. before posting your thoughts, get some training in tax law. simple enough, it is public domain at irs.gov.

simple training in HOW the tax rate is determined, including the effec tax rate

[Jacquot]

12:35 AM on 02/05/2012

The "bottom 40%" would actually be fantastic! If it weren't actually double that and then some, that is. Are you really saying that Paris Hilton and the Kardashians are more driven and talented than the majority of this country?!? Come on. Quit using tired, dogmatic cliches and say something that shows an actual thought pattern. You seem to know a great deal about tax laws but maybe you should have a broader perspective and quit relying on others to do your thinking for you. Tax laws are like religion, it's all a matter of interpretation. Please do the world a favor and think for yourself and be a little more considerate to the greater good of your fellow man.

[jrtcolumbus]

12:11 PM on 02/05/2012

nice point - but paris and kim are the exceptions, not the rule. paris's money comes from investments that have been previously and continuely taxed - kim's is coming from what is previously written,,, hiding income through off-shore movie\agent holding companies. i thought this thread was about "talent" either so called movie stars and\or athletes making the BIG impact speeches on what people pay in taxes, yet they themselves are the dirtiest of the dirty - or even better put the greediest of the greedy --- if my cliche is dogmatic and\or as you feel old hat, maybe it is because these investments themselves are old and have been used for years by the star elite class,,, but not very publized. if my main premise is thoughtless and dogmatic to you -- then perhaps you should investigate the effect tax rate on dividend\capitol gains and after mr rock pays his back taxes that he talks about "loosing no matter what", then he earns the right to comment on the rest of us that are not in the arrears with the IRS.

[TreP3]

03:47 PM on 02/03/2012

If a handful of very rich individuals are able to overcome the greed that most feel in holding on to their money, I think the rich SOBs in Congress should listen.

In just about every district and state, vocally supporting this would result in more voters than a congressman could buy using the funds acquired by reciprocating the support his/her rich contributors--thus keeping his/her job.

[Omar The Tentmaker]

03:31 PM on 02/03/2012

The reason to increase taxes on the rich is the same reason that Willie Sutton robbed bank, it's where the money is. It's as simple as that. All the statistical analysis about who pays and who doesn't pay is irrelevant. Let's go back to the good old days, bring back the tax rates of the fifties.

[Poster9999]

03:41 PM on 02/03/2012

I get where you're coming from but I disagree. The reason you tax the rich is because they've benefit the most from an extraordinarily unfair system. Bottom 40% of the population holds less than 1% of the nations wealth. Top 20% hold 85% and most of that is in the richest 1-2% and it's that 1-2% that the Dems are targeting.

[Sister777]

03:50 PM on 02/03/2012

Sounds to me like you are both saying the same thing. You take the money from those who have it- the top 1-2%.