Tax Policy Center

tax reform

: TaxVox
“Are we there yet?” It’s just a little (or a lot) further for the federal Highway Trust Fund . Congress just left for a week-long recess, leaving the Highway Trust Fund nearly empty . The Senate Finance Committee didn’t support Chairman Ron Wyden’s $9 billion tax-raising patch, in spite of Wyden’s
June 27, 2014Renu Zaretsky
State and Local Issues: TaxVox
This week, the District of Columbia City Council approved a major tax reform bill. And, as it happens, some important—but unspoken-- issues of race and class are underlying key changes to the revenue code. Earlier this year, the DC Tax Revision Commission proposed a broad rewrite of the city’s tax
June 26, 2014Howard Gleckman
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms: TaxVox
Sadly, the House Ways & Means Committee has turned on its head a proposal by its chairman, Dave Camp (R-MI) to repeal bonus depreciation for business capital investment. Instead of scrapping the measure, which Congress originally passed in 2008 as a temporary anti-recession tonic, the panel has
May 29, 2014Howard Gleckman
Individual Taxes: TaxVox
Is it possible that U.S.-based multinationals are getting tired of waiting for Congress to enact corporate tax reform? Seeking cash for domestic acquisitions, some of the nation’s best-known firms are starting to bring back their foreign earnings. Some are finding ways to avoid paying tax at all on
May 15, 2014Howard Gleckman
Individual Taxes: TaxVox
In the cover essay in the current issue of The Milken Institute Review , Len Burman calls for a Value-Added Tax (VAT) to pay for government health care costs. Len, the director of Tax Policy Center (and, thus, my boss), argues that a dedicated—and fully transparent--health care VAT would increase
April 24, 2014Howard Gleckman
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms: TaxVox
House Ways and Means Committee Chair Dave Camp deserves credit for proposing a tax reform that takes on many special interests, something too few other elected officials are willing to do. But one provision mistakenly threatens the survival of most community foundations without improving the tax
April 24, 2014C. Eugene Steuerle
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms: TaxVox
Buried deep in House Ways & Means Committee Chair Dave Camp’s tax reform plan is a proposal to require donor-advised funds to distribute contributions within five years. The proposal would be a major change for these charitable vehicles, where funds currently can sit indefinitely. Donor-advised
April 22, 2014Howard Gleckman
Individual Taxes: TaxVox
Egged on by business lobbyists, congressional tax writers seem increasingly interested in allowing firms to rapidly write off the cost of their capital investments. Especially in the House, lawmakers would allow small businesses to expense the full cost of their investments in the year they are
April 17, 2014Howard Gleckman
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms: TaxVox
One of the biggest selling points for tax reform is the claim that a new and improved revenue code would be easier for taxpayers to manage. Along with economic growth and fairness, simplicity has been a watchword for reform for decades. But a striking new survey by the Associated Press-GfK has me
April 10, 2014Howard Gleckman
Individual Taxes: TaxVox
Today I had the chance to testify before the House Small Business Committee on the many tax issues facing small business. Here are my opening remarks. You can find my full testimony here . America’s tax system is needlessly complex, economically harmful, and often unfair. Despite recent revenue
April 9, 2014Donald Marron