Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent avoided approximately $910,000 in Medicare taxes through a limited partnership structure at his hedge fund between 2021 and 2023, according to Senate Democratic staff analysis of his tax returns. The legal maneuver allows wealthy business owners to classify most earnings as exempt from self-employment taxes, which most Americans pay automatically through payroll deductions.
Federal tax authorities initiated enforcement efforts against this practice in 2018, achieving a significant court victory when a Tax Court judge ruled that actual business roles rather than partnership labels should determine tax obligations. However, the Trump administration removed plans to develop regulations addressing limited partnerships from its priority list after Bessent took office. The Treasury Department maintains he was uninvolved in that decision and will follow ethics guidelines.
Congressional Democrats estimated that closing this avenue could generate more than $250 billion over a decade, but legislation failed during the previous administration. Multiple hedge fund owners, including those at Soroban Capital Partners and Point72 Asset Management, face similar challenges from tax authorities, with cases pending before appellate courts.
Federal tax authorities initiated enforcement efforts against this practice in 2018, achieving a significant court victory when a Tax Court judge ruled that actual business roles rather than partnership labels should determine tax obligations. However, the Trump administration removed plans to develop regulations addressing limited partnerships from its priority list after Bessent took office. The Treasury Department maintains he was uninvolved in that decision and will follow ethics guidelines.
Congressional Democrats estimated that closing this avenue could generate more than $250 billion over a decade, but legislation failed during the previous administration. Multiple hedge fund owners, including those at Soroban Capital Partners and Point72 Asset Management, face similar challenges from tax authorities, with cases pending before appellate courts.
