Wall Street Journal- The private-equity firm paid $3.7 million for lobbying in the first half of this year — 15 times what it paid in all of last year. About half represents bills owed from 2006, representatives say.
Democrats weigh doubts about proposals to raise taxes on private equity and hedge funds. Conservative “Blue Dogs” form task force to decide; black caucus members argue funds benefit inner cities.
Meanwhile, a survey of 400 hedge funds by accounting firm Rothstein Kass shows most don’t fear tax increases. Only a quarter thinks Congress will raise tax on managers’ “carried interest” to the personal income-tax rate from 15% capital-gains rate.
If the rate is raised, more than 70% of funds would seek other ways to cut tax bills. None saw a higher tax as a problem if they went public.
