WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump on Friday promised a big announcement about tax reform next week and ordered an administration review of Obama-era tax rules written to discourage US companies from relocating overseas to cut their tax bills.
“We will be having a big announcement on Wednesday having to do with tax reform. The process has begun long ago, but it really formally begins on Wednesday,” Trump said during a visit to the US Treasury Department.
First reported in an Associated Press interview with Trump, the news came as a surprise to lobbyists and congressional aides who had no idea what Trump’s announcement might include.
In February, Trump promised to release a “phenomenal” tax plan within a few weeks, without offering details. But none emerged.
A White House official said the impending announcement could come later than Wednesday, adding: “The president was saying what we have been saying all along, that he wants to do tax reform as quickly as possible while still doing it right.”
Trump’s latest comments got a warm reception from the Republican tax chief in the House of Representatives.
“I appreciate the president’s leadership and strong commitment to comprehensive tax reform,” House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady said in a statement.
Brady added that the panel’s Republican members “are ready to work with President Trump and his team.”
During the 2016 election campaign, Trump initially issued a plan that proposed deep cuts in tax rates for individuals and corporations, a reduction in the number of tax brackets to four from seven, repeal of the estate tax, an offshore profits repatriation tax holiday for multinationals and a cap on the deductibility of business interest. He later revised the number of tax brackets to three.
The plan partly resembled one developed by House Speaker Paul Ryan.
Trump on Friday also signed an executive order directing the Treasury to review tax-related regulations adopted over the past 18 months under former President Barack Obama.
Asked if that would include rules against tax-driven foreign corporate deals known as inversions, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said: “It is one of the significant things and one of the things we would be looking at.”
Trump and Republicans in Congress view tax reform as the best vehicle for eliminating what they say are tax incentives for US companies to move their headquarters, manufacturing facilities and jobs overseas.
Trump sets US tax reform announcement, orders tax rule review
Trump sets US tax reform announcement, orders tax rule review
Closing Bell: Saudi main index closes in red at 11,183
RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Tadawul All Share Index dipped on Monday, losing 44.79 points, or 0.4 percent, to close at 11,183.85.
The total trading turnover of the benchmark index was SR4.05 billion ($1.08 billion), as 69 of the listed stocks advanced, while 191 retreated.
The MSCI Tadawul Index decreased, down 6.63 points or 0.44 percent, to close at 1,504.73.
The Kingdom’s parallel market Nomu lost 328.20 points, or 1.36 percent, to close at 23,764.92. This comes as 22 of the listed stocks advanced, while 49 retreated.
The best-performing stock was Maharah Human Resources Co., with its share price surging by 7.26 percent to SR6.50.
Other top performers included Arabian Cement Co., which saw its share price rise by 6.27 percent to SR22.71, and Saudi Research and Media Group, which saw a 4.3 percent increase to SR104.30.
On the downside, the worst performer of the day was Arabian Internet and Communications Services Co., whose share price fell by 8.01 percent to SR207.80.
Jahez International Co. for Information System Technology and Al-Rajhi Co. for Cooperative Insurance also saw declines, with their shares dropping by 5.61 percent and 4.46 percent to SR12.79 and SR75, respectively.
On the announcement front, Etihad Etisalat Co. announced its financial results for 2025 with a 7.9 percent year-on-year growth in its revenues, to reach SR19.6 billion.
In a Tadawul statement, Mobily said that this growth is attributed to “the expansion of all revenue streams, with a healthy growth in the overall subscriber base.”
Mobily delivered an 11.6 percent increase in net profit, reaching SR3.4 billion in 2025 compared to SR3.1 billion in 2024.
The company’s share price reached SR67.85, marking a 0.37 percent increase on the main market.
