the cost of the tax plan at well over half of our current $16 trillion national debt—far exceeds those made by the Tax Foundation for plans released in recent months by GOP hopefuls Jeb Bush, Marco Rubio, and Rand Paul. They were $3.66 trillion for Bush, $4 trillion for Rubio, and $3 trillion for Paul.” [Time, 9/29/15] Left- And Right-Leaning Groups Agreed: Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Cost At Least $9 Trillion Over The Next Decade. “The first reviews are in and they agree on this much: Donald Trump's tax plan carries a hefty price tag. Analysts at the left-leaning Citizens for Tax Justice and the conservative-leaning Tax Foundation released top-line estimates on the Republican presidential front-runner's tax plan that was unveiled Monday. According to the Citizens for Tax Justice, Trump's tax proposal would reduce revenues by around $900 billion per year, which would translate to about $9 trillion over a decade. The Tax Foundation is singing a similar tune: It predicts that the billionaire's plan would reduce tax revenue by some $10 trillion over the next 10 years (when measured alongside economic growth).” [CNN, 9/29/15] The Tax Foundation: Even After Accounting For A Potential Boost In Economic Growth From Tax Cuts, Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Would Still Cost More Than $10 Trillion Over Ten Years. “Today, the conservative Tax Foundation offered an answer. Without factoring in growth, it found that Trump's plan would actually add $11.98 trillion to the 10-year deficit. Once the boost to growth that would result from slashing taxes is factored in, it would only cost $10.14 trillion ... more or less cratering the government's finances into fiery rubble.” [Jordan Weissmann, Slate, 9/29/15] TRUMP’S PLAN WOULD INCREASE THE DEFICIT Poltifact: “Donald Trump’s False Claim That His Tax Plan Wouldn’t Increase The Deficit.” [PolitiFact, 11/5/15] • Politifact Gave A “False” Rating To Donald Trump’s Claim That His Tax Plan Would Not Increase The Deficit. “Trump said his tax plan would not increase the deficit. Free market-oriented and liberal groups alike say Trump’s tax plan would lead to a $10 trillion revenue loss, even if it did create economic growth. Since Trump has said he will not slash retirement programs like Social Security and Medicare, experts doubt that any spending cuts he made would result in a revenue-neutral tax plan. We rate Trump’s claim False.” [PolitiFact, 11/5/15] Politico’s Danny Vinik: Even With The Most Optimistic Assumptions, There Is “No Way” Donald Trump’s Tax Plan Is Deficit Neutral Like He Claims. “But Trump makes one promise that sets his plan apart [from other Republican tax plans]: It will be deficit- neutral. In other words, it would pay for itself, and all those tax cuts wouldn’t make the federal deficit worse. I did some back-of-the-envelope math on Trump’s plan to see if that’s true. The short answer: There’s no way the plan is deficit neutral. Even with the most optimistic assumptions, Trump’s plan will still significantly reduce the total amount of money the government takes in. That might appeal to a lot of conservatives, but it will also definitely increase the federal deficit.” [Danny Vinik, Politico, 9/28/15] TRUMP PLANNED TO ELIMINATE THE ESTATE TAX Confidential Page 166