Tax Reform, Tax Arbitrage, and the Taxation of "Carried Interest"

C. Eugene Steuerle gave testimony on the taxation of carried interest before the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means. He notes among his findings that as a matter of both efficiency and equity, capital gains relief is best targeted where tax rates are high, as in the case of the double taxation of corporate income. The case for providing capital gains relief for carried interest is relatively weak, resting primarily upon whether the administrative benefits of the simple partnership structure needs to be maintained in this arena; it does not rest upon arguments for favoring capital income, entrepreneurs, or risk.