Jeff Bezos, the world's fourth richest man and Amazon founder, said low earners in the US should pay no tax, reports Business Insider. In an interview with CNBC, he reportedly slammed taxation on lower-income workers, using the example of a "nurse in Queens earning $75,000." "Why is a nurse in Queens who makes $75,000 a year paying more than $1,000 a month in taxes? That's $1,000 a month that could help with rent, groceries, or anything," he was quoted as saying.
"1% of taxpayers pay 40% of all the tax revenue; the bottom half pay only 3%. I think it should be zero," Bezos said in an interview with CNBC on Wednesday. "There's something very powerful about zero," he added.
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US economy split between rich, struggling Americans
Jeff Bezos has sparked fresh debate over taxes, inequality, and the American economy after arguing that middle-income workers should not be heavily taxed.
Speaking from the Blue Origin rocket facility in Florida, Bezos described the US economy as a “tale of two economies,” saying wealth and opportunity are not being experienced equally across the country.
Bezos says many Americans are still struggling
According to Bezos, one group of Americans has benefited enormously from rising stock markets and booming real estate prices, while another group continues to struggle with inflation, high interest rates, and rising living costs.
“You have a bunch of people in this country who are doing really well, but you also have a bunch of people in this country who are struggling,” Bezos said.
His comments reflected concerns around the so-called K-shaped economy, where wealthier households continue growing richer while working and middle-class Americans face affordability pressures.
Bezos questions taxes on nurses and workers
During the discussion, Bezos pushed back against higher taxes for ordinary workers. He questioned why nurses and employees earning moderate salaries continue to face significant tax burdens.
“How about we start by having the nurse in Queens not pay taxes?” Bezos said.
He later used the example of an Amazon employee in New York earning around $50,000 annually, saying taxing workers at that income level felt “absurd.”
“Why are you taxing them so much? I really am puzzled by this,” he added.
Nurse salary debate enters the conversation
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, registered nurses across New York, Newark, and Jersey City earn a median annual salary of around $120,000. Vocational nurses, who generally require lower educational qualifications, earn closer to $75,000 annually.
Bezos used these examples to argue that people in essential professions should keep more of their income instead of paying higher taxes.
Billionaire tax proposal fuels controversy
Bezos’ remarks come as debate intensifies over a proposed billionaire tax in California. The proposal includes a one-time 5% tax on the worldwide net worth of billionaires. The tax would apply to assets such as stocks, art collections, businesses, and vehicles, though directly held real estate would reportedly be excluded.
According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Bezos’ fortune stood at roughly $279 billion as of Tuesday’s close. Most of his wealth comes from his stake in Amazon, which remains one of the world’s biggest e-commerce and cloud-computing companies.
Bezos faces criticism over his own taxes
Bezos has long faced criticism from activists and lawmakers who argue billionaires do not pay their fair share of taxes. Labor groups have also criticized Amazon over worker wages and conditions.
In 2021, ProPublica reported, citing leaked IRS records, that Bezos paid no federal income tax in 2007 and 2011 despite already being among the world’s richest people.
Addressing criticism directly, Bezos argued that dramatically increasing taxes on billionaires would not automatically solve economic inequality.
“If people want me to pay more billions, then let’s have that debate,” Bezos said. “But don’t pretend that’s going to solve the problem.”
He added that even doubling the taxes he personally pays would not significantly improve the lives of struggling teachers or nurses.
Bezos defends Amazon’s economic impact
Bezos has repeatedly argued that Amazon has created massive economic value beyond shareholder profits.
In his final shareholder letter as Amazon CEO, he estimated the company generated hundreds of billions of dollars in value for shareholders, employees, sellers, and customers combined.
Even after stepping down as CEO, Bezos continues to remain at the center of debates around wealth inequality, taxation, worker pay, and the growing divide between rich and struggling Americans.
