Kim Kardashian’s state tax bill too low, say proponents of Calif. millionaires’ tax

Poor Kim Kardashian. She suffered through a tough last few months of 2011.

Her extravagant Aug. 20 fairy tale wedding was followed 72 days later by a divorce filing.

Then Kim and her family faced relatively tough questions during a Barbara Walters televised interview. Walters had the temerity to call the family <gasp> talentless.

And now a public policy activist group is slamming Kim for not paying more California taxes.

The Courage Campaign says that although Kim reportedly made more than $12 million in 2010, she paid only 10.3 percent in Golden State taxes.

That's just one percentage point more than the 9.3 percent in taxes paid by a middle-class Californian, says the group.

Although Kim's income tax rate is the current California law, the Courage Campaign argues that the tax disparity between the Kardashians and other wealthy residents and regular folk is why the Millionaires Tax of 2012 should be on the state's November 2012 ballot.

The group has created a video seeking support for upping Kim's and other millionaires' taxes.

There's also a TaxKimK.com website where those so inclined can sign an online petition in support of higher taxes on California's wealthier residents.

If the millionaires' tax measure does make it onto the ballot and is approved by voters, California's top income tax rate would jump from 10.3 percent to 13.3 percent on income of more than $1 million.

Californians making more than $2 million would pay even more. The tax rate for them would be 15.3 percent.

Millionaires taxes are hot: Added taxes on the wealthy is the current hot tax topic.

In New York. Gov. Andrew Cuomo initially opposed his state legislature's efforts to not sign any bill that continues the Empire State's surcharge on higher earners.

Cuomo backtracked when New York lawmakers put together a deal to temporarily raise the top income tax bracket on residents earning more than $2 million a year while lowering, via a sliding scale, middle class tax rates. 

New York is not alone. A lot of other jurisdictions demand their richer residents pay more to state treasuries.

On the federal level, when the two-month federal payroll tax rate cut extension comes up for a longer term consideration, Democrats on Capitol Hill say they'll again push for a millionaires' surtax as a way to cover the tax cut's cost.

And even if the millionaire tax doesn't make it through Congress, in 2012 the top income tax rate is scheduled to jump back to 39.6 percent on folks making less than half that amount.

Yep, as Kim and the rest of the Kardashian family have learned, it's not always easy being rich. I know I really feel for them. I also know I'd like to feel how tough it is! How about you?

You also might find these items of interest:

• Could a 'big spender' surtax pay off?
• Taxes are driving wealthy New Jersey residents
  from the Garden State
• 'Tax us more,' say some rich Americans