Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments in Moore v. United States, a Case with Implications for Future Wealth Tax Efforts

The Supreme Court on Tuesday heard oral arguments in Moore v. United States, a case that could have implications for any future effort to enact a wealth tax on the super-rich. The case centers on a one-time tax imposed by the 2017 Trump tax law on gains from a foreign company. During the arguments, Justice Samuel Alito asked sharp questions of the federal government’s lawyer as the Biden administration defended the tax.

Justice Neil Gorsuch expressed concern about the potential for an “avaricious” Congress to target regular people’s savings as a tax windfall. The case had previously attracted scrutiny after Justice Alito rejected claims that he should not participate in it due to his ties with one of the lawyers challenging the one-off tax.

The Supreme Court’s decision in Moore v. United States could have far-reaching implications for any future attempts to impose a wealth tax on the super-rich. The case is being closely watched by tax experts and legal scholars, who are eager to see how the Court will rule.

The case was brought by a disgruntled couple trying to evade the one-time tax imposed by the 2017 Trump tax law. The Biden administration is defending the tax, while Justice Alito and Gorsuch have raised questions about the potential for Congress to target regular people’s savings. The outcome of Moore v. United States could have a major impact on any future attempts to impose a wealth tax on the super-rich.