As fall of 2016 commenced, many Olympic and Paralympic athletes received good news as President Obama signed a bill which allowed these athletes an exemption from income taxes.  The Joint Committee on Taxation’s cost analysis estimated that the bill would cost the government $3 million in lost tax revenue over the next 10 years, which is hardly significant. The bill is retroactive so that it applies to medals won during the Rio Olympics.

Many Americans took home gold, silver, and bronze medals from the Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro as 121 medals were won by American athletes. Members of the U.S. Olympic team were paid $25,000 for each gold medal, $15,000 for each silver medal and $10,000 for each bronze medal.