[Vigilanteman]

It will affect big investment banks more, of course, in terms of TOTAL tax paid. But it will also discourage small investors (those with $25,000 + accounts) from making small profit trades numerous times. Right now, you can do this commission free with a number of retail brokers including Schwab and Fidelity, but you can't avoid the tax.

By raising the cost of the transactions by increasing the tax, only the big fish who can trade in much bigger blocks of shares are left in the game.

This is much like so-called campaign finance reform. It sounds really nice on the surface until you figure out that it is designed to help the swamp which has sympathetic media outlets backing them and doesn't need to buy campaign time as much.

[nitzy]

Sorry, I am still not understanding.

What you are saying would make complete sense if the tax was per transaction. But it is a percentage of the value.

GS trading large “blocks of shares” would be hit at the same percentage as a little guy trading small blocks of shares. The only difference is in how often they turn over their shares.

Again, the small guy have less trades per day/month/year so they would be hit less.

If I am not understanding some aspect of what you are saying please straighten me out.

I completely agree that in environmental regulations, safety regulations, labor regulations, compliance regulations, etc.... they are all designed by the big guys to raise barriers to entry for the little guys. I am just having a hard time seeing how this particular proposal does that.