The Poynter Institute Menu Donate State Editions * California * Florida * Iowa * Michigan * New Hampshire * New York * North Carolina * Pennsylvania * Texas * West Virginia * Wisconsin Issues * All Issues * Online hoaxes * Coronavirus * Health Care * Immigration * Extremism * Taxes * Marijuana * Environment * Crime * Guns * Foreign Policy * LGBTQ+ People * Joe Biden * Kamala Harris * Donald Trump * Mitch McConnell * Hakeem Jeffries * Ron DeSantis Media * PunditFact * Tucker Carlson * Sean Hannity * Rachel Maddow * Bloggers * PolitiFact Videos Campaigns * 2024 Elections Truth-o-Meter * True * Mostly True * Half True * Mostly False * False * Pants on Fire Promises * Biden Promise Tracker * Trump-O-Meter * Obameter * Latest Promises About Us * Our Process * Our Staff * En Español * Who pays for PolitiFact? * Advertise with Us * Suggest a Fact-check * Corrections and Updates * Newsletters Donate #### Follow us The Facts Newsletter Sign up English Español ### Get PolitiFact in your inbox. * Weekly Email Newsletter * Daily Email Newsletter Your Email Address Sign Up ![](\\" ![](\\" Kelda Helen Roys stated on December 1, 2017 in a tweet: \"Under Trump’s new tax plan … 99.8% of Americans\" get \"not one nickel\" in tax cuts. ![\\"true\\"](\\" ![\\"pants- fire\\"](\\" * Wealth * Taxes * Wisconsin * Kelda Helen Roys ![\\"This](\\" This graphic appeared with the text of Roys\' tweet. ![\\"Tom](\\" By Tom Kertscher December 13, 2017 # Claim that 99.8% of Americans wouldn\'t get a tax cut under the GOP tax plan fails Kelda Helen Roys picked an unusual way to become the latest of the major Democrats to join the 2018 race for governor of Wisconsin. She announced her candidacy on a private Facebook page. Roys, a former Wisconsin state representative from Madison, undoubtedly will be training her sights on GOP Gov. Scott Walker, who is seeking a third term. But on Dec. 1, 2017, six days before her Facebook announcement, Roys used social media in a different way to criticize tax reform efforts by President Donald Trump and other Republicans. She posted this tweet: Never let the GOP tell you again that they support low taxes. They don’t—unless you’re already a billionaire or a massive corporation. #TaxBill (Attached was the graphic shown above.) Many have criticized the proposed GOP tax cuts as favoring the richest. But 99.8 percent of Americans wouldn’t get any tax cut? That’s not correct. Not close. The estate tax Roys told us she was referring to an April 2017 Facebook post by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the Vermont independent who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2016. #### Featured Fact-check ![](\\" ![](\\" Donald Trump stated on August 23, 2024 in a speech in Las Vegas “Kamala cast the tiebreaking vote to hire 87,000 new IRS agents to go after your tip income.” ![\\"true\\"](\\" false/33efdb6633e5e2fdc2d4e2f63383a1e0.jpg.\\") ![\\"false\\"](\\" false.jpg\\") By Amy Sherman • August 28, 2024 That post blasted Trump’s proposal to repeal the estate tax, and it included the figures about the Waltons, the Koch brothers and Trump’s family that were part of Roys’ tweet. Sanders’ post also said \"99.8 percent of Americans would not benefit by one nickel under Trump’s plan to repeal the estate tax.\" So, Sanders was clearly referring to only one tax reform provision: repeal of the estate tax. We’ve rated True a claim by U.S. Rep. Mark Pocan, D-Wis., that what some call the \"death tax\" was paid by only \"two out of every 1,000 people\" in 2016. That’s the equivalent of 99.8 percent. The tax applies only if an estate’s value exceeds $5.45 million, or $10.9 million, if there is a surviving spouse, and is paid by only about 5,000 estates per year. But Roys’ tweet was making a general reference to Trump’s tax plan -- with no indication that the numbers referred only to the estate tax. And its bottom-line claim was that \"under Trump’s new tax plan … 99.8% of Americans\" get \"not one nickel\" in tax cuts. Roys told us she now realizes that what she posted did not make it clear she was referring only to the estate tax. Indeed, a reader could only assume her claim was about the tax plan generally, with the \"#TaxBill\" reference she used and the \"Trump’s new tax plan\" in the headline. As for the House and Senate tax reform plans now in play, with Republicans hoping to finalize a plan for Trump’s signature before the end of 2017, several tax-cut provisions benefit the rich specifically. But the tax cuts would be widespread: Both plans would lower individual income tax rates for the middle class, and most people in lower-income households would see cuts, as well. Our rating Roys said that \"under Trump’s new tax plan … 99.8% of Americans\" get \"not one nickel\" in tax cuts. Roys said she was referring to the Republican proposal to repeal the federal estate tax, which would only benefit the wealthiest and does not apply to 99.8 percent of Americans. But her tweet made no reference to the estate tax. It gave the impression she was referring to Trump’s overall tax plan. That plan has its critics, including those who believe it gives too much to the rich. Nevertheless, as has been widely reported, the plan offers widespread tax cuts. We rate Roys’ statement Pants on Fire. Share the Facts 2017-12-13 17:42:11 UTC PolitiFact ![\\"PolitiFact\\"](\\" logo-big.jpg\\"/) 1 1 7 ![\\"PolitiFact](\\" pof.png\\") PolitiFact Rating: Pants on Fire \"Under Trump’s new tax plan … 99.8% of Americans\" get \"not one nickel\" in tax cuts. Kelda Helen Roys Democratic candidate for Wisconsin governor ![](\\" In a tweet Friday, December 1, 2017 2017-12-01 Read More info #### Read About Our Process The Principles of the Truth-O-Meter ### Our Sources Twitter, Kelda Helen Roys tweet, Dec. 1, 2017 Interview, Kelda Helen Roys, Dec. 11, 2017 PolitiFact Wisconsin, \"\'Death tax\' that Republicans want to repeal is paid by only 2 of 1,000 people who die?\" Oct. 27, 2017 PolitiFact National, \"The House and Senate tax bills, explained,\" Nov. 28, 2017 ## Browse the Truth-O-Meter ### More by Tom Kertscher slide 4 to 6 of 15 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on July 19, 2023 in an Instagram post: A wind turbine must “spin continually for over four years just to replace the energy it took to manufacture it.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • July 28, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" TikTok posts stated on July 15, 2023 in un video en TikTok: \"Biden elimina ‘tráfico sexual de menores’ como una de las prioridades del Departamento de Justicia de su gobierno”. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Maria Briceño • July 25, 2023 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on July 17, 2023 in an Instagram post: \"Florida to ban mRNA vaccines as credible evidence of biological weapons.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • July 18, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 26, 2023 in a Facebook post: Video suggests Canada wildfires were deliberately set to advance “smart cities” push. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 30, 2023 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on August 26, 2023 in a video: Women vaccinated against COVID-19 face \"unknown side effects that could perpetually go down through the lineage\" to their children. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 29, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 25, 2023 in a Facebook post: As of Aug. 25, \"Luis Rubiales has resigned as the president of the Spanish Football Federation.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 29, 2023 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on August 24, 2023 in an Instagram post: The World Health Organization said there is \"a possible causal relationship\" between COVID-19 vaccines and multiple sclerosis. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 28, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 9, 2023 in a Facebook post: Video shows 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Instagram posts stated on July 17, 2023 in an Instagram post: \"Florida to ban mRNA vaccines as credible evidence of biological weapons.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • July 18, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 26, 2023 in a Facebook post: Video suggests Canada wildfires were deliberately set to advance “smart cities” push. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 30, 2023 ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/322c808c00e73c217d17772ddd5a0eb5.jpg\\") ![](\\" Instagram_logo_2016.svg/8b142c91ebe468a84a192e6df2b7b994.jpg\\") Instagram posts stated on August 26, 2023 in a video: Women vaccinated against COVID-19 face \"unknown side effects that could perpetually go down through the lineage\" to their children. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 29, 2023 ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on August 25, 2023 in a Facebook post: As of Aug. 25, \"Luis Rubiales has resigned as the president of the Spanish Football Federation.\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Tom Kertscher • August 29, 2023 ### Claim that 99.8% of Americans wouldn\'t get a tax cut under the GOP tax plan fails * ![](\\" ![](\\" Threads posts stated on September 13, 2024 in a post on Threads: “ABC lost $27M in ad revenue after advertisers pulled ads from the network after the way they hosted the debate\" on Sept. 10. ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" th.jpg\\") ![\\"pants-fire\\"](\\" pants-fire.jpg\\") By Madison Czopek • September 15, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Facebook posts stated on September 8, 2024 in a social media post: Photos that show lists of school names are “school shooting lists.” ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Andy Nguyen • September 15, 2024 * ![](\\" ![](\\" Instagram posts stated on September 12, 2024 in an Instagram post: A video shows a body that Israel embedded with a bomb exploding during a Palestinian funeral procession. ![\\"false\\"](\\" ![\\"false\\"](\\" By Sofia Ahmed • September 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Under Trump’s new tax plan 998 of Americans get not one nickel in tax cuts