Tax cuts

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dismissed President Donald Trump’s call for a payroll tax cut and changes in the capital gains tax, saying it wouldn’t help millions of unemployed workers and others struggling in an economy shut down by the pandemic.

President Donald Trump has fixed his sights on getting a payroll tax cut in the next coronavirus stimulus bill, but it’s unclear whether he can get Republicans — much less Democrats — to go along with such a high-cost item that likely would have only a modest impact on the economy.

A big cut in the payroll tax is high on President Donald Trump’s wish list for the next coronavirus response bill, but the idea is getting the brushoff from newly cost-conscious Republicans and Democrats who would rather send aid to people who aren’t getting a paycheck.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce called Monday for a three-month cancellation of all payroll taxes paid by employers to address “a sudden and sharp drop in demand” facing businesses due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The president said he would allow individuals and businesses to “defer tax payments without interest or penalties” and he urged Congress to cut payroll taxes.

The president spoke to Republicans at their weekly conference lunch at the Capitol as his administration prepares a package of economic measures to combat the fallout from the coronavirus outbreak.

Key Democrats poured cold water on President Donald Trump’s proposal to include a payroll tax cut as part of his plan to respond to the coronavirus. Senior Republicans also held back from endorsing the suggestion ahead of a key lunch meeting on Tuesday.

The president will seek a payroll tax cut and “very substantial relief” for industries that have been hit by the virus, reversing course on the need for economic stimulus hours after markets posted their worst losses in more than a decade.

They come in every year with something on their minds, but this early season’s sampling shows a few definite trends of what tax preparation clients are talking about with their preparers — and the advice preparers give back.

President Trump referred to the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on job creation during his State of the Union address on Tuesday night.