
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act was a roughly $2 trillion bill passed in March that provided economic assistance to everyone from unemployed workers and beleaguered small businesses to overwhelmed hospitals and state governments. Was it also a giveaway to millionaires?
Yes, according to a May 14 Facebook post.
Using simple text on a black background, the post says: "Hidden in the CARES Act was an obscure $135 billion tax break for 43,000 millionaires. Apparently, no one asked, ‘How are we going to pay for it?’"
It was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Facebook.)
The post is more or less on target.
The CARES Act, which sailed through both houses of Congress, did include language that temporarily suspended a tax provision known as the excess loss limitation. The language is not hidden, but it’s safe to say that given how fast the $2 trillion bill sped through Congress, it mostly escaped media attention.