Harris's Tax Plan Targets High-Income Households

Under her plan, taxes would go up sharply on some high-income households, and top marginal tax rates would reach their highest point since 1986. The wealthiest investors and company founders would encounter sizable capital-gains tax bills that they don’t face under current law.

Major pieces of the 2017 tax law expire at the end of next year absent congressional action, an outcome that lawmakers in both parties want to prevent. The expiration could give Harris leverage to demand support for some of her tax priorities. If the president and Congress do nothing, about 62% of households will see their taxes go up in 2026, according to the Tax Foundation.

Under the Harris plan, that top slice of households (about 0.01%) would pay an annual minimum tax of 25% of their income—using a broader definition of income that includes unrealized gains.

Under that plan, the top marginal income-tax rate for individuals would climb to 44.6% across almost all income types, compared with today’s lower top rates (23.8% on capital gains, 29.6% on some business income and over 39% on wages).