Tax Reform In An Era Of Deficits

Tax reform should focus on three goals:1) reducing needless complexity, 2) reducing backdoor spending through the tax code, and 3) reforming rules for taxing saving and investment to make our tax law more suitable for a globalized economy. This note summarizes steps that should be taken and how recent recommendations by the President's Economic Recovery Board, the National Taxpayer Advocate, the President's Fiscal Commission, and the Bipartisan Policy Center provide a road map for future changes.