Correct - using 'subsidy' a bit loosely but

GRATS, CRATs, CRUTs, Carried interest, special depreciation rules, "loans are not realization of income", unlimited charitable deductions, foundations as covers for personal spending, etc., "capital gains tax subsidy" etc. are all artifacts of the tax code that favor the ultra wealthy.

I think the mistake that many folks make when they analyze the "wealthy" end of things is that by and large they will eventually pay. And certainly they do pay the majority of the tax revenue. Is there a risk some of these ultra wealthy people renounce citizenship and head to New Zealand? Sure but not everyone likes to sleep with sheep.

So eventually this capital will be taxed or at least distributed back into the economy via donation and consumption. Maybe not by their next generation, but certainly by the four that money will be back in the system. And those subsidies resulted in a tangible return on investment.

We enjoy tremendous advantages in our technology and productivity from our investment in human capital and research and development and the above "loopholes" create incentives to take risks and explore those. Bezos, Musk, Buffet, Gates, etc. have led vast teams to create technologies that make all of our lives better and the economy more efficient. I don't understand mouth breathing liberals who get upset about the fact that a mortal who will end up dead just like them having vastly more money than they do. Guess what - those people made all of our lives better. Billions of people. I'm happy they did that as they should be as well.

Are we getting a return on investment on welfare, section 8, etc? What is the goal of those subsidy? We have so many damned carve outs and preferences I don't see how it is possible to optimize a 100,000 variable equation. In general I am a meathead and think that simplifying the tax code would at least allow us to test these programs for efficacy.

As is, we only talk about whether we are adding to a deficit / surplus etc. This is not my expertise at all and now I regret responding. My bad.