Warren Buffett surprised many by selling a significant portion of his gigantic Apple stake, and his reason for the sale was even more surprising. Buffett, who trimmed Berkshire Hathaway's Apple holding by 13% in the first quarter after reaping enormous gains, suggested that the sale was for tax reasons. He implied the sale could be a means of avoiding an even higher tax bill down the road if tax rates rise to help plug a ballooning U.S. fiscal deficit. There's no special tax rate for capital gains in a corporation as they become part of the entity's income. Corporate income tax rate The corporate tax rate in the U.S. averaged 32.1% from 1909 to 2024, with a peak of 52.8% in the late 1960s, according to the Internal Revenue Service.

---

Persons: Warren Buffett, Buffett, There's, Kelly Gillette Organizations: Apple, Treasury Department, U.S, Internal Revenue Service, Armanino LLP, Apple Berkshire, Berkshire Locations: Berkshire, Omaha, Texas