Skip to main content
  • Experts
  • Events
  • Briefing Book
  • Resources
  • About
  • Contact
  • Support
  • Fiscal Facts
Twitter
Facebook
Logo Site
  • Topics
    • Individual Taxes
    • Business Taxes
    • Federal Budget and Economy
    • State and Local Issues
    • Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms
  • TaxVox Blog
  • Research & Commentary
  • Laws & Proposals
  • Model Estimates
  • Statistics
  • Features
Research report

An Option to Reform the Income Tax Treatment of Families and Work

James R. Nunns, Elaine Maag, Hang Nguyen
December 5, 2016
Download PDFPrint
Share

Primary tasks

  • Overview(active tab)
  • Full Report

Abstract

The income tax provisions related to families and work—filing status, rate schedules, the standard deduction, personal exemptions, the child and earned income tax credits, and the taxation of dependents—are complex, too small to encourage work for many low earners, and unfair to some families. We describe and analyze a comprehensive option that addresses these issues while minimizing the number of “losers” and reducing average tax burdens in all but the highest income quintile, at a cost of about $100 billion per year. We present alternatives to illustrate different policy tradeoffs that could be made in reforming these provisions.

Research Area

Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms Fundamental reform proposals Individual Taxes Alternative minimum tax (AMT) Child tax credit (CTC)/Child and dependent care tax credit (CDCTC) Earned income tax credit (EITC) Income tax (individual) Marriage penalties and bonuses
To reuse content from the Tax Policy Center, visit copyright.com, search for the publications, choose from a list of licenses, and complete the transaction.

Meet the Experts

  • James R. Nunns
    Urban Institute Associate
  • Elaine Maag
    Senior Fellow, Research
  • Hang Nguyen
Research report

New Evidence on The Effect of The TCJA On the Housing Market

Robert McClelland, Livia Mucciolo, Safia Sayed
March 30, 2022
  • Donate Today
  • Topics
  • TaxVox Blog
  • Research & Commentary
  • Laws & Proposals
  • Model Estimates
  • Statistics
  • Privacy Policy
  • Newsletters
Twitter
Facebook
  • © Urban Institute, Brookings Institution, and individual authors, 2022.