The Moores were taxed $14,729 on that investment under a provision in the GOP’s signature 2017 tax law called the “mandatory repatriation tax” (MRT), which imposed a one-time tax on U.S. individuals and companies who have a significant stake in foreign corporations controlled by Americans.

In a Supreme Court case revolving around one couple’s disputed tax bill, justices Tuesday wanted to explore the case’s potential broader implications, while opposing lawyers wanted them just to stick to the case at hand.

The justices looked for an even keeled ruling in a case that has the potential to leave the government out trillions in tax revenue.

The challenge by a Washington state couple is widely viewed as an effort to preemptively block Congress from creating a wealth tax.

Conservative and liberal justices voiced concerns that ruling for a Washington state couple challenging a provision of the 2017 tax bill would threaten other provisions of the tax code.

Conservative and liberal justices seemed to take a middle-of-the-road position in oral arguments this week in a closely watched tax case.

While the U.S. Supreme Court has yet to announce whether it will take up a case regarding whether or not a Washington state capital gains tax is an income tax, it is currently reviewing the legality of a federal tax that poses its own legal challenge.