Under Van Hollen’s proposal, workers making at or below a “living wage” — $46,000 for taxpayers filing individually, or $92,000 for married couples filing jointly — would not have to pay federal income taxes. Tens of millions of additional middle-class workers would also receive a tax cut under the proposal, but they would still have to pay taxes. Fifteen Senate Democrats are co-sponsoring Van Hollen’s proposal, though it has no chance of passing in a Republican-controlled Congress. Though the 2028 presidential primaries have not yet begun, Van Hollen’s proposal reflects the early jockeying around the ideas the party should run on. The “living wage” below which nobody would pay taxes is defined by a Massachusetts Institute of Technology index and would rise with inflation under Van Hollen’s proposal.

Source: Washington Post March 05, 2026 13:01 UTC