This year, the federal government will collect about $2.2 trillion in revenues. It will also distribute more than $1 trillion in tax breaks to individuals and businesses. Many of these preferences, such as the mortgage interest deduction, are enormously popular, but they make the tax code extremely complex and are often economically inefficient. For the first time in years, Democrats and Republicans are beginning to debate whether these credits, deductions, and exclusions should be scaled back as part of a broad reform of the Internal Revenue Code. As tax filers ready for Tax Day 2011, a panel of experts will debate controversial proposals to put the brakes on tax breaks.
Panelists
- John Buckley, professor, Graduate Tax Program, Georgetown Law Center; former chief tax counsel, U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Ways and Means
- Howard Gleckman, resident fellow, Urban Institute (moderator)
- Nina Olson, national taxpayer advocate, Internal Revenue Service
- Eric Toder, institute fellow, Urban Institute; co-director Tax Policy Center (view presentation as a PDF)
- Alan Viard, resident scholar, American Enterprise Institute (view presentation as a PDF)
Resources
Panelist Bios
2010 IRS Annual Report to Congress, vol 2, Tax Expenditures
2010 IRS Annual Report to Congress, vol 1, IRS Dual Mission Statement
2009 IRS Annual Report to Congress, vol 2, Social Policy Through the Tax Code
Pew's Tax Expenditure Database
At the Urban Institute
2100 M Street N.W., 5th Floor, Washington, D.C.
Lunch will be provided at 11:45 a.m. The forum begins promptly at noon.
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