Tax Policy Center

presidential candidates

Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms: TaxVox

How the Tax Policy Center Analyzes Presidential Candidates’ Tax Plans

The process behind the numbers we present
March 3, 2020Mark J. Mazur
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms: TaxVox

Despite Promises, Jeb Bush’s Tax Plan Wouldn’t Eliminate Marriage Penalties

GOP presidential candidate Jeb Bush offered a tax plan last week that he says “eliminates the marriage penalty.” But it may not help many low-income working families. A married couple is penalized if it pays more tax filing a joint return than if each spouse could file individually. Conversely,
September 16, 2015Roberton C. Williams
Individual Taxes: TaxVox

The Case of the Unreturned Call for Tax Code Simplicity

So far, at least 22 people are running for president. Only three have released detailed tax plans, but nearly all call for more simplicity—perhaps so much that we could file our returns on a postcard. In 2012, National Taxpayer Advocate Nina Olson called for simplicity, too: “A simpler, more
September 2, 2015Renu Zaretsky
Individual Taxes: TaxVox

Why Romney and Obama Pay the Taxes They Pay

By now, many readers of TaxVox know how much Barack Obama and Mitt Romney pay in taxes. But true tax wonks are more interested in...
April 26, 2012Roberton C. Williams