Obama in bid to close tax loopholes

US president Barack Obama’s State of the Union address will propose closing multibillion-dollar tax loopholes used by the wealthiest Americans, imposing a fee on big financial firms and then using the revenue to benefit the middle class, senior administration officials said at the weekend.

Obama’s annual address to a joint session of Congress tomorrow night will continue his theme of income equality, and the administration is optimistic it will find some bipartisan support in the Republican-dominated House of Representatives and Senate.

The proposals may still generate significant opposition from the Republicans because they would increase taxes.