what are windfall profits 
windfall profits are large unexpected gains resulting from lucky circumstances such profits are generally well above historical norms and may occur due to factors such as a price spike or supply shortage that are either temporary in nature or longer lasting windfall profits are generally reaped by an entire industry sector but can also find their way to an individual company in terms of an individual a windfall profit could be a spike in income as a result of a specific one time event such as winning the lottery inheriting money or suddenly being able to sell that rare piece of music memorabilia you own for a large amount of money after the singer passes away there was previously a tax on corporate windfall profits 1 however it was unpopular and there are currently no such taxes in the united states though reintroducing the tax has drawn much debate on wall street and in washington 