Billionaire Mark Cuban said he was “proud” to pay hundreds of millions in taxes to the IRS in a ridiculed X post ahead of Tax Day.
The Dallas Mavericks owner made the statement on Sunday during a back-and-forth argument with OutKick writer Ian Miller after Cuban criticized former President Trump’s tax cut policies.
“Hey Mark just wondering if you or your corporations pay more than the required taxes in order to pay your fair share, thanks so much,” Miller wrote, referencing a frequent left-wing talking point about how much millionaires, billionaires and corporations pay in taxes.
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“I pay what I owe. Tomorrow I will wire transfer to the IRS. $288,000,000.00. This country has done so much for me, I’m proud to pay my taxes every single year. Tag a former president that you know doesn’t,” Cuban responded, dodging Miller’s question about paying his “fair share.”
Miller replied, “So why don’t you and your companies pay more than what you owe in order to fix the injustice of the Trump tax cuts?”
Several fellow X users further piled on Cuban.
“So then why don’t you pay more than you’re required? #PayYourFairShare,” Grabien founder Tom Elliot remarked.
“Impossible. I was told the wealthy don’t pay anything,” former investment banker and author Carol Roth joked.
Political commentator Chad Felix Greene calculated, “That will cover about 0.00084% of the national debt. So your mandatory payment, at risk of imprisonment, does absolutely nothing ‘for’ the country. You can give every cent you earn to the government for the rest of your life and never fund a single program you support.”
Republican congressional candidate Irene Armendariz-Jackson wrote, “Post your tax returns and prove that you didn’t take any tax breaks. I’ll be waiting.”
On Monday, Cuban corrected the total amount, showing that he paid $275,900,000 in taxes.
“I was wrong with my number yesterday. Got the final number and the wire is complete. Wanted to be accurate. Do I expect all of it to be used wisely? Of course not. But I’m still proud to be able to give back to our country. I’ve said it for years. After military service, paying your taxes is the most patriotic thing we can do,” Cuban wrote.
American Principles Project President Terry Schilling ran the numbers then joked, “We just need 125k more billionaires to pay Mark Cuban level taxes to pay off our debt. Let’s go @mcuban!”
Syndicated radio host Joe “Pags” Pagliarulo commented, “none of it will be used wisely. It will barely scratch the surface of the interest on the debt. Mark, I trust you more than the government to build jobs, new businesses, more research and development et al. I’m really sorry your burden on the money YOU made through YOUR hard work is so high. It should not be.”
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Cuban made an almost identical statement in 2019 during an interview with FOX Business’ Neil Cavuto on “Cavuto: Coast To Coast.”
“I don’t mind paying more taxes,” Cuban said. “I think after military service, it’s actually patriotic to pay taxes.”
Regarding the targeting of billionaires like him by then-2020 Democratic hopefuls Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders, Cuban said, “[B]etter me a target than the guy or woman or family that’s making $30,000, $50,000 or $80,000 a year and grinding out and hustling every day. Come at me, that’s great.”
However, he expressed concerns over how the government would spend the money.
“The reality is if it’s Bernie, if it’s Elizabeth Warren, they’re going to max out how much they charge us with our taxes and how much we pay. But then what are they going to do with it?” Cuban asked.
He added, “What I’ve yet to see from any of them are the priorities. What are they going to choose first, second, third and fourth?”
