U.S.: Obama’s tax cuts: Stealthy and unnoticed by most Americans
- 95% the percentage of people who got an Obama tax cut
- $400 the size of the maximum tax cut for individuals ($800 for couples)
- 1:10 the ratio of people that realized they were actually getting a tax cut
- 8:10 the ratio who thought their taxes went up or stayed the same source
- » Why nobody noticed: Well, Obama’s method for doling out the tax cuts was a little weird. Most people expect tax cuts on the back end, in the form of giant refund checks. Obama, on the other hand, put the cuts (as part of his $787 billion stimulus plan) directly in paychecks, to be distributed slowly, week to week. In a way, it’s brilliant because nobody thinks about a couple extra bucks in their paycheck and will spend the money like nothing ever happened. But in another way, it means the effects of the stimulus went unnoticed by millions of people. Hmm. For point of comparison, most people are well-aware of Bush’s tax cuts.