Tax Policy Center

Eric Toder

Individual Taxes: TaxVox

Could EPA’s New Greenhouse Gas Rules Open the Door to a State-based Carbon Tax?

EPA’s proposed tough new standards for power-plant emissions of greenhouse gasses opens the door to new state or regional cap-and-trade systems to limit carbon discharges. It is less clear whether it would go the next step and permit states to impose their own carbon tax. The proposed EPA rules,
June 2, 2014Howard Gleckman
: TaxVox

Corporations, Local Revenues, Tough Love, and Carbon

The House Ways and Means Committee marks up a bill restoring more expired tax breaks tomorrow. On the table: a measure making bonus depreciation for business investment permanent and reforming the tax treatment of some charitable giving. Bloomberg reports that the tax panel will consider whether to
May 28, 2014Renu Zaretsky
Individual Taxes: TaxVox

Turning Carbon Tax Theory Into Reality

A carbon tax has great appeal. It could reduce the risk of climate change by building emissions costs into market prices, thus discouraging the use of carbon-based fuels. And it would make a lot of revenue available for a broad range of purposes including reducing other taxes, new spending, or
May 27, 2014Howard Gleckman
Individual Taxes: TaxVox

Taxing Employer-Sponsored Insurance Would Hike Social Security Benefits But Boost Federal Coffers

The tax subsidy for employer-sponsored health insurance is huge. Not only are the premiums exempt from income tax, they are also immune from Social Security payroll tax. The two subsidies combined will add more than $1.6 trillion to the deficit over the next five years alone. But because that
May 8, 2014Howard Gleckman
Individual Taxes: TaxVox

Two Ways to Fix the Corporate Income Tax: Internationalize it or Kill It

In an important new paper , Eric Toder of the Tax Policy Center and Alan Viard of the American Enterprise Institute say that corporate tax reforms now being debated in Congress fall far short of solving the widespread problems with the levy. Rather than merely lowering rates and tinkering with tax
April 4, 2014Howard Gleckman
State and Local Issues: TaxVox

Who Benefits from Muni Bonds? It’s More Complicated Than You Think

Who benefits the most from the tax subsidy for municipal bonds? The easy answer is: Rich people who buy most of the tax-free paper. That’s...
October 29, 2013Howard Gleckman
Individual Taxes: TaxVox

Not All Curbs on Tax Preferences Are Created Equal

Because politicians seem unwilling to confront specific individual tax preferences, it is likely that any broad-based tax reform will be based on across-the-board curbs on...
July 10, 2013Howard Gleckman
Federal Budget and Economy: TaxVox

Smart Tax Reform Could Shrink the Government

Max Baucus and Dave Camp, leaders of the Senate and House tax-writing committees, are on the road promoting tax simplification. One goal: cleaning out the...
July 8, 2013Donald Marron
Individual Taxes: TaxVox

New Study: Tax Subsidies Do Little To Reduce Greenhouse Gas Emissions

The other day, President Obama proposed a modest and largely aspirational plan to respond to climate change. Unlike some of his past efforts, it did...
July 1, 2013Howard Gleckman
Individual Taxes: TaxVox

Will the Retirement of Max Baucus Open the Door to Tax Reform?

It has become conventional wisdom in Washington that the just-announced retirement of Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) boosts chances for tax reform in...
April 25, 2013Howard Gleckman