Simu Liu speaks out on Trump’s new tax plan

Simu Liu has spoken out against President Donald Trump’s newly proposed U.S. tax plan, which seeks to extend the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) and introduce new measures that primarily benefit high-income earners and corporations.

“I’m happy to pay taxes”

While not a U.S. citizen, the 35-year-old Canadian actor explained in a TikTok post Thursday that he owns property and pays taxes in the country, making him directly affected by the policy. “I read the new administration’s new tax plan, and it looks like I get a tax cut,” Liu said. “And I guess I just wanted to say that I don’t need a tax cut. I’m happy to pay taxes, I believe I should pay taxes and I actually believe that people like me should probably pay more tax.”

Concerns over middle-class impact

Liu expressed concern that the proposed changes would primarily benefit the wealthiest Americans while raising taxes for “95% of Americans — basically Americans that make less than $360,000 a year,” echoing an analysis by the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy. He pointed out that this shift would lead to a higher cost of living and reduced income for the majority of taxpayers.

Capitalism, politics and influence

Liu also criticized the broader economic and political landscape, arguing that systemic issues are being overlooked. “Instead of attacking the root causes of whatever is contributing to this massive wealth disparity, [the administration] is instead… scapegoating women, people of color, queer people and trans people,” he said.

He went on to link tax policies to corporate and political influence, warning that “capitalism is running rampant and there’s massive deregulation” enabling billionaires to control media and influence elections. “I guess it’s all just a little bit scary to me,” he concluded. “I don’t need tax cuts and I guess just making a verbal promise to myself that any money that I save from these tax cuts in this administration, I will be donating instead.”

President Trump’s tax cut proposals include:

Extending the 2017 TCJA: Making permanent the lower individual income tax rates, higher standard deduction and various business tax breaks.
Eliminating the SALT deduction cap: Removing the $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions, primarily benefiting high earners in high-tax states.
Cutting the corporate tax rate: Reducing the corporate tax rate from 21% to 15% for U.S. manufacturers.
Exempting certain income from taxes: Excluding overtime pay, tips and Social Security benefits from taxation.
Repealing green energy tax credits: Eliminating tax incentives for renewable energy projects introduced under President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

This story is part of The Rebel Yellow Newsletter — a bold weekly newsletter from the creators of NextShark, reclaiming our stories and celebrating Asian American voices.

Subscribe free to join the movement. If you love what we’re building, consider becoming a paid member — your support helps us grow our team, investigate impactful stories, and uplift our community.

Subscribe here now!

Share this Article