AFREF and 23 signatories submitted a comment letter calling on the Treasury Department and the IRS to finalize a rule implementing the 1% stock buybacks excise tax with strong anti-avoidance provisions.
Americans for Financial Reform Education Fund (AFREF) led a letter with 13 additional signatories urging the SEC to repropose the stock buybacks disclosure rule to provide investors with information about this widespread yet opaque practice. This important rule was struck down by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals following a challenge by the Chamber of Commerce.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) today finalized a plan to bring long-overdue transparency to the practice of companies buying back their own stock. However, the final rule weakened key aspects of the initial proposal.
AFREF and the Institute for Policy Studies, Global Economy Project led a comment letter to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) about its uniform guidance, which sets the boundaries around the types of strings states and localities are allowed to attach when they disburse federal funds. This comment letter argues state and local governments should be allowed to give preferential treatment to bidders that commit to make productive investments in their companies and refrain from stock buybacks and excessive executive compensation.
Washington, D.C. – Commerce Department guidelines finalized today are a critical step in ensuring that public investment in chip makers is used for productive ends instead of squandered on stock buybacks.
Washington, D.C. – The announcement that Chevron will spend $75 billion on stock buybacks underscores the urgency of reinforcing a measure Congress created last year to penalize companies that engage in a financial practice that amplifies rampant wealth inequality, and in this case boosts the bottom line of a climate-harming industry.
Schumer uttered those words as the Senate was on the brink of passing the Inflation Reduction Act—the compromise reconciliation bill that resulted from prolonged, heated negotiations amongst Democrats. The version that will go to President Biden includes something brand-new in U.S. economic policy: a one percent excise tax on stock buybacks, which reached an astonishing $882 billion last year.
AFREF led a letter with thirteen organizational signatories commenting in support of a rule proposed by the Securities and Exchange Commission that would significantly increase the transparency of stock buybacks. A central component of the proposed rule is daily disclosures of stock buybacks. (Current disclosure requirements are only quarterly.) In the comment letter, we commend the SEC on the proposed rule and make recommendations to further strengthen protections against market manipulation and insider trading that we believe would improve long-term financial stability and growth.
Stock buybacks exacerbate the racial wealth gap, worsen economic inequality, and divert resources from the real economy which harms workers. Taxing buybacks would raise revenue and discourage companies from putting highly-paid executives ahead of the broader economy.
Take on Wall Street/AFR, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO, and United for Respect hosted a briefing for Hill staffers on September 23, 2021, to explain why Wall Street needs an excise tax on stock buybacks and why now is the