New Tax Law Subsidizes Private Jets While Cutting Healthcare

The law, pushed through by congressional Republicans without bipartisan support, permanently reinstates 100% bonus depreciation. While the policy technically applies to various business assets, it is widely utilized for high-ticket luxury items, triggering a surge in private aviation sales. Aviation firms have openly celebrated the change, with one provider noting that jet ownership has never looked more fiscally attractive.

Critics argue the move effectively shifts the cost of private luxury travel onto the average taxpayer. Chuck Collins of the Institute for Policy Studies described the tax break as a massive subsidy for the ultra-wealthy, noting that a corporation could deduct the entire cost of a $50 million jet immediately. Meanwhile, the legislation forces significant reductions in social safety nets, a move Robert Weissman of Public Citizen labeled as one of the cruelest in history for stripping food and health benefits from low-income families to prioritize the billionaire class.