Justin Elliott

Reporter

Photo of Justin Elliott

Justin Elliott has been a reporter with ProPublica since 2012, where he covers business and politics.

In recent years, he was on the team of reporters documenting how the rich avoid taxes for “The Secret IRS Files” series. He co-wrote the story revealing tech mogul Peter Thiel’s multibillion-dollar Roth IRA.

Previously, his work on TurboTax-maker Intuit’s misleading marketing tactics led to a settlement that delivered $141 million back to consumers.

He has produced stories for outlets including The New York Times and NPR, and his work has spurred congressional investigations and changes to federal legislation.

He has won numerous awards, including a Gerald Loeb Award for business journalism, the Selden Ring Award, an Investigative Reporters and Editors award for a series on the American Red Cross and, with the “Trump, Inc.” podcast team, a duPont-Columbia Award. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Brown University in history and classics.

He can be reached on Signal and WhatsApp at 774-826-6240.

The Number of People With IRAs Worth $5 Million or More Has Tripled, Congress Says

After ProPublica revealed that some wealthy Americans hold Roth IRAs worth hundreds of millions — compared to $39,000 for the average account holder — Democrats requested data. It shows more than 28,000 people with IRAs worth $5 million or more.

“We’re Not Allowed to Hang Up”: The Harsh Reality of Working in Customer Service

In their own voices, seven customer service representatives reveal what it’s like being caught between abusive callers and demanding employers.

TurboTax-Maker Intuit Will Leave Free Tax Filing Partnership With IRS

The company’s decision throws the future of the Free File program, which was created as an alternative to an IRS free tax filing system, into doubt.

The Billionaire Playbook: How Sports Owners Use Their Teams to Avoid Millions in Taxes

Owners like Steve Ballmer can take the kinds of deductions on team assets — everything from media deals to player contracts — that industrialists take on factory equipment. That helps them pay lower tax rates than players and even stadium workers.

Campaign to Rein in Mega IRA Tax Shelters Gains Steam in Congress Following ProPublica Report

One proposal would ban the kinds of transactions that helped Peter Thiel amass $5 billion in his Roth; another would cap how much could be saved tax-free in these retirement accounts. But two unrelated bills could undermine those efforts.

Why You Can’t Turn Your Roth IRA Into a Billion-Dollar Tax Shelter

Unless you have access to nonpublic stock of a future tech giant, it’s pretty hard to turn a humble retirement account into a tax-free piggy bank.

The Ultrawealthy Have Hijacked Roth IRAs. The Senate Finance Chair Is Eyeing a Crackdown.

Sen. Ron Wyden, chair of the Senate Finance Committee, said he planned to rein in tax breaks for gargantuan Roth retirement accounts after ProPublica exposed how the superrich used them to shield their fortunes from taxes

Lord of the Roths: How Tech Mogul Peter Thiel Turned a Retirement Account for the Middle Class Into a $5 Billion Tax-Free Piggy Bank

Roth IRAs were intended to help average working Americans save, but IRS records show Thiel and other ultrawealthy investors have used them to amass vast untaxed fortunes.

How to File Your State and Federal Taxes for Free in 2021

TurboTax and other tax prep services advertise themselves as “free,” but we found several ways that they tricked people into paying. Here’s our guide to preparing and filing your 2020 taxes without falling into that trap.

Sheryl Sandberg and Top Facebook Execs Silenced an Enemy of Turkey to Prevent a Hit to the Company’s Business

Amid a 2018 Turkish military campaign, Facebook ultimately sided with Turkey’s demand to block the page of a mostly Kurdish militia. “I am fine with this,” Sandberg wrote.

All a Gig-Economy Pioneer Had to Do Was “Politely Disagree” It Was Violating Federal Law and the Labor Department Walked Away

An Obama administration Labor Department investigator estimated that Arise Virtual Solutions owed its network of 20,000 customer service agents $14.2 million. The company paid nothing.

Georgia Senator David Perdue Privately Pushed for a Tax Break for Rich Sports Teamowners

It’s unclear why Senator Perdue was interested in tax regulation that would impact only a tiny set of the richest Americans. The effort, which wasn’t successful, could have helped several of his donors, including fellow senator Kelly Loeffler.

Una clave que podría decidir la elección: si el Partido Republicano logra impedir que los votantes subsanen boletas rechazadas

Muchos estados permiten a los votantes corregir y entregar de nuevo las boletas que fueron rechazadas por razones técnicas. Se llama “subsanar” votos, y el partido Republicano está intentado impedir que se cuenten porque podrían ayudar a Biden a ganar.

Whether the GOP Can Stop Voters From Legally Fixing Rejected Mail-In Ballots Could Decide the Election

Many states allow voters to fix and resubmit ballots rejected for technical reasons. It’s called “curing” votes, and the GOP is trying to prevent them from being counted because they could help Biden win.

Philadelphia niega la acusación de la campaña de Trump de que prohíbe a los observadores electorales republicanos

La ciudad dice que un video ampliamente visto de un observador electoral del GOP (Partido Republicano) que fue rechazado en un centro de votación es un incidente aislado que ocurrió por confusión sobre las reglas y fue corregido rápidamente.

Philadelphia Denies Trump Campaign Allegation of Banning Republican Poll Watchers

The city says that a widely viewed video of a GOP poll watcher being turned away was an isolated and quickly corrected incident resulting from confusion over the rules.

Susan Collins Backed Down From a Fight With Private Equity. Now They’re Underwriting Her Reelection.

The Maine Republican senator has become the No. 1 Senate recipient of private equity donations.

A worker cleans a walkway railing in the Boston Logan International Airport.

The Trump Administration Allowed Aviation Companies to Take Bailout Funds and Lay Off Workers, Says House Report

Instead of using bailout money to keep workers, at least two companies restored the full pay of their top management.

DOJ Frees Federal Prosecutors to Take Steps That Could Interfere With Elections, Weakening Long-standing Policy

In an internal announcement, the Justice Department created an exception to a decadeslong policy meant to prevent prosecutors from taking overt investigative steps that might affect the outcome of the vote.

The Justice Department May Have Violated Attorney General Barr’s Own Policy Memo

In a memo from May, the attorney general reminded Justice Dept. prosecutors to avoid partisan politics. Then a U.S. attorney in Pennsylvania announced an election investigation that had partisan overtones.

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