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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Dominic Rushe

Top five US executives hoard $9bn tax-free for retirement as workers face limits

The so-called ‘top hat’ plans allow unlimited tax-deferred retirement while ordinary workers face strict limits on their 401(k) retirement plan contributions.
The so-called ‘top hat’ plans allow unlimited tax-deferred retirement while ordinary workers face strict limits on their 401(k) retirement plan contributions. Photograph: Andriy Popov/Alamy

The top five executives at the US’s largest companies have amassed close to $9bn in tax-free retirement saving accounts while many of their employees have struggled to set aside any funds for retirement, according to a new report released on Thursday.

The report, A Tale of Two Retirements, from the Institute for Policy Studies and Jobs With Justice found the top five executives at S&P 500 firms held a combined $8.9bn in special tax-deferred accounts at the end of 2021. Income taxes will be due on this compensation when they withdraw the funds, but in the meantime, they benefit from the tax-free compounding of investment returns.

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