The figure represent 17.4 percent of his $39.8 million in taxable income, a percentage he has repeatedly said is too low compared to what his own staff members pay.
Mr. Buffett caused an uproar in August when he said the wealthy should be subject to a higher rate of tax. The White House has taken on his challenge and proposed a “Buffett Rule” that would raise levies on the richest people.
After Mr. Buffett’s suggestion, a Republican congressman, Tim Huelskamp of Kansas, sent Mr. Buffett a letter in late September calling on him to release his tax returns.
Mr. Huelskamp sent a second letter reiterating the request this month, and promising to release his own returns if Mr. Buffett did.
Mr. Buffett, the chief executive of the conglomerate Berkshire Hathaway, responded in kind on Tuesday, according to a copy of the letter. Mr. Buffett did not release his full return, though, as many have called for him to do.
In the letter, Mr. Buffett reiterated what he saw as the inequality of his paying a rate in the teens when most people who work for him pay a rate in the 30 percent range.
Mr. Buffett also called on other very wealthy Americans to release their own returns.
“If you could get other ultra-rich Americans to publish their returns along with mine, that would be very useful to the tax dialogue and intelligent reform,” Mr. Buffett said. “I stand ready and willing — indeed eager — to participate in this exercise.”
Mr. Huelskamp, in a statement Wednesday, slammed Mr. Buffett’s letter as inadequate and again called on him to either release his full returns or voluntarily give more tax money to the federal government.
Article source: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=0db897f8851e36ab67ad68a359d51ccc
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