Who Is Trump to Judge His Friend for Buying a ‘Very Expensive Private Plane’? We All Like to Splurge on Things We Don’t Need

Speaking in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in July 2026, President Donald Trump offered a testimonial for his tax law. “I have friends that bought things that, frankly, they didn’t need. I have a friend that never flew on a private plane in his life, and he ended up going out and buying a very expensive private plane because of expensing. One year.”

“Expensing” refers to a business break in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act that lets a business write off the full cost of qualifying equipment in the year it buys it, rather than spreading the deduction across years. The purchase could generate a very large first-year business deduction.

Individual Americans benefited from the OBBBA too. In fact, tax relief for households was a cornerstone of Trump’s case for the bill. So how much did Americans actually save, and what can they treat themselves to?

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Typical savings in spring 2026

The OBBBA cut the taxes for many filers in the 2025 tax year, filed in April 2026. Because withholding was not adjusted until after the law passed, many taxpayers saw the benefit at filing time, either as a larger refund or a smaller tax bill.

The figures below are average estimated tax savings by income group, according to nonprofit Tax Foundation. Your own result depends on your income, household and deductions.

• Under about $35,000: The average estimated cut was about $9. Many households in this group already owe little or no federal income tax, leaving less for the new provisions to reduce. Nine dollars buys a couple of gallons of gas or lunch on the road.
• About $35,000 to $66,000: The average estimated cut rose to about $245. That is enough to cover a week of groceries, a phone bill and then some, or one of those smaller expenses that normally gets pushed onto a credit card.
• About $66,000 to $113,000: Middle-income households averaged roughly an estimated $557. It could cover a car repair, replace a washing machine, pay an insurance deductible or simply stay in savings for the next surprise.
• About $113,000 to $180,000: The average estimated cut for this group was about $1,153. That is enough to make a noticeable dent in a mortgage payment, fund a long weekend away or cover a larger home or car expense.
• More than about $180,000: The top fifth of households had an average estimated cut of about $1,981, the largest of any group for the 2025 tax year. Nearly $2,000 can buy a good appliance, pay for a modest vacation or knock down a chunk of a larger bill. Spend it however you like.

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Maybe next year you can buy a plane

The bill was touted as broad tax relief, but for most Americans, the OBBBA did not put much extra spending money in their pockets this spring. The biggest household gains went to higher-income taxpayers, while business owners could also benefit from provisions such as the expensing break behind Trump’s private-plane story.

You probably do not have a private jet in your future, but next year you could perhaps splurge on a new bicycle or, you know, something else you frankly don’t need.

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