Much of the state tax policy discussion during the past decade has centered on the performance of corporate income taxes and ways to restructure them. This report focuses on state responses to the weak corporate tax collections during the 2000-2003 period as well as to the revenue performance...
All charities claim to be performing some good for others or for society. These "outputs" require inputs of charitable resources. Nongovernmental sources can be divided broadly into two major categories: financial or real capital, and volunteer labor. These contributions of money or property and...
Energy policy is an important subject these days, as Americans become increasingly aware of the costs of what President Bush has called "our addiction to oil" and the environmental costs of growing world consumption of fossil fuels. Although some foreign oil comes from friendly and politically...
There are numerous tax incentives for the oil and gas industry, many of which are designed to encourage exploration and energy production. Both the amount and the value of the incentives have increased in recent years. Economists believe it is generally bad policy to favor one industry or one...
Individual giving to public charities-most of which comes in the form of charitable deductions from tax filers who itemize on their returns-actually comprises only a small part of charities gross receipts each year: between 8 and 12 percent of gross receipts over the 1996-2003 period.
The IRS does not administer well items for which it does not have information reporting. Extending information reporting to most charitable contributions would simplify life for most individual givers, improve compliance, and likely be better for the charitable sector as well. An improved...
Retargeting the estate tax to very wealthy households and lowering its rates would blunt much of the criticism against it while retaining many of its advantages. This brief explains how the estate tax works and examines who is affected by it under current law. It discusses how reform would...
Stories of abuses by both donors to charities and by charitable organizations have once again filled newspaper headlines recently. The types of abuse are multiple, stretching from overvalued donations of easements (restrictions on certain uses of land to protect it, say, for conservation...
In this commentary for Marketplace, Len Burman argues that the government's faith in free-market solutions to public policy issues is contradicted by its position against private testing of cattle for Mad Cow disease.
[Los Angeles Times] On May 15, the Senate passed a tax cut that would probably prove even more costly and less responsible than the Bush Administration. The president's dividend-relief proposal would cost almost $400 billion over the next 10 years. The Senate version could end up costing...
Emerging State Business Tax Policy
Much of the state tax policy discussion during the past decade has centered on the performance of corporate income taxes and ways to restructure them. This report focuses on state responses to the weak corporate tax collections during the 2000-2003 period as well as to the revenue performance...
A Method for Measuring and Partially Testing "Charitability", Second of Three Parts
All charities claim to be performing some good for others or for society. These "outputs" require inputs of charitable resources. Nongovernmental sources can be divided broadly into two major categories: financial or real capital, and volunteer labor. These contributions of money or property and...
Energy Taxation: Principles and Interests
Energy policy is an important subject these days, as Americans become increasingly aware of the costs of what President Bush has called "our addiction to oil" and the environmental costs of growing world consumption of fossil fuels. Although some foreign oil comes from friendly and politically...
Tax Incentives for Energy Production
There are numerous tax incentives for the oil and gas industry, many of which are designed to encourage exploration and energy production. Both the amount and the value of the incentives have increased in recent years. Economists believe it is generally bad policy to favor one industry or one...
Individual Giving Compared To Charitable Gross Receipts
Individual giving to public charities-most of which comes in the form of charitable deductions from tax filers who itemize on their returns-actually comprises only a small part of charities gross receipts each year: between 8 and 12 percent of gross receipts over the 1996-2003 period.
Expanded Information Reporting For Charitable Giving
The IRS does not administer well items for which it does not have information reporting. Extending information reporting to most charitable contributions would simplify life for most individual givers, improve compliance, and likely be better for the charitable sector as well. An improved...
Options for Reforming the Estate Tax
Retargeting the estate tax to very wealthy households and lowering its rates would blunt much of the criticism against it while retaining many of its advantages. This brief explains how the estate tax works and examines who is affected by it under current law. It discusses how reform would...
A Win-Win Option for Charity and Tax Policy
Stories of abuses by both donors to charities and by charitable organizations have once again filled newspaper headlines recently. The types of abuse are multiple, stretching from overvalued donations of easements (restrictions on certain uses of land to protect it, say, for conservation...
USDA Not Allowing Free Markets to Decide about Mad Cow Disease Testing
In this commentary for Marketplace, Len Burman argues that the government's faith in free-market solutions to public policy issues is contradicted by its position against private testing of cattle for Mad Cow disease.
Congress Morphs an 'Itty-Bitty' Tax Cut Into a Budget Buster
[Los Angeles Times] On May 15, the Senate passed a tax cut that would probably prove even more costly and less responsible than the Bush Administration. The president's dividend-relief proposal would cost almost $400 billion over the next 10 years. The Senate version could end up costing...