I should pay more tax, says US billionaire Warren Buffett
Andrew Clark in New York
Wednesday October 31, 2007
The Guardian
Warren Buffett counts the money from his wallet after an employee asked how much money he had in it, during a meeting with workers of TaeguTec, in Daegu, South Korea.
Warren Buffett counts the money from his wallet after an employee asked how much money he had in it, during a meeting with workers of TaeguTec, in Daegu, South Korea. Photograph: Jo Yong-Hak/Reuters
The United States' second-richest man has delivered a blunt message to the Bush administration: he wants to pay more tax.
Warren Buffett, the famous investor known as the "Sage of Omaha", has complained that he pays a lower rate of tax than any of his staff - including his receptionist. Mr Buffett, who is worth an estimated $52bn (�25bn), said: "The taxation system has tilted towards the rich and away from the middle class in the last 10 years. It's dramatic; I don't think it's appreciated and I think it should be addressed."
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During an interview with NBC television, Mr Buffett brandished an informal survey of 15 of his 18 office staff at his Berkshire Hathaway empire. The billionaire said he was paying 17.7% payroll and income tax, compared with an average in the office of 32.9%.
