tax reform

Is the GOP’s Enthusiasm for Tax Cuts Going the Way of American Idol?

The silence is deafening. Remarkably, Republicans lining up to run for president aren't talking about cutting taxes. Tax reform? Sure. Rate cuts? Absolutely. But so far at least, national Republicans seem more willing to tackle same-sex marriage than big Ronald Reagan/George W. Bush-style tax cuts

May 12, 2015Howard Gleckman

: TaxVox

Tax Relief for the Few, Tax Increases for All… or None

Everything is bigger in Texas, except tax relief for its low-income residents. Tax cuts are a sure bet in the Lone Star state this year, but it’s hard to provide tax relief to everybody without a state income tax. TPC’s Richard Auxier explains that Texas’ reliance on sales and property taxes makes

May 7, 2015Renu Zaretsky

Federal Budget and Economy: TaxVox

Rubio Tries to Triangulate Tax Policy

Newly declared GOP presidential hopeful Senator Marco Rubio is trying something truly (Bill) Clintonesque—navigating between the demands of his party’s base and a more centrist, forward-looking political agenda. Nowhere is it more obvious than in tax policy. And nowhere is the road ahead more risky

April 16, 2015Howard Gleckman

: TaxVox

Death and Taxes: Certainty and Conflict

The House plans a vote to repeal the estate tax today. Repealing the levy would cut taxes by $270 billion over 10 years for 0.2 percent of the nation’s richest estates. The White House and Democrats are vehemently opposed . The Joint Committee on Taxation estimates that 5,400 estates will face the

April 16, 2015Renu Zaretsky

: TaxVox

Tax Ideas, A “Fix,” Limits and Honors

Paul Ryan and Orrin Hatch want businesses to share ideas on tax treatment of “pass-throughs.” As owners of pass-through businesses such as partnerships and sole proprietorships, millions of business owners pay their firms’ income taxes through the individual code. Both the GOP and the White House

April 14, 2015Renu Zaretsky

: TaxVox

Tax Season: It Ain’t Over Till It’s Over

The IRS and the ACA: Working hard and working well. The IRS, thanks to years of preparation since the Affordable Care Act became law in 2010, has managed the current tax filing season smoothly, according to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen , even with new ACA burdens and IRS budget cutbacks . “It's

April 13, 2015Renu Zaretsky

Individual Taxes: TaxVox

One Avenue to Bipartisan Tax Reform: Simplification and Improved Tax Administration

There are many ways to restructure the tax code. Elected officials often fail to detect opportunity when they adhere in a path-dependent way to one past model of success, such the 1986 tax reform. An alternative approach where even the acclaimed 1986 effort made at best modest progress would focus

April 8, 2015C. Eugene Steuerle

Federal Budget and Economy: TaxVox

Is a Consumption Tax Talk Making a Comeback?

Maybe it’s just because Congress is on spring break and tax wonks don’t have much to talk about, but suddenly the idea of a consumption tax is getting a new look. The tax plan proposed earlier this month by senators Mike Lee (R-UT) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) is one form of the levy. And tax journalists

March 31, 2015Howard Gleckman

: TaxVox

Spending Cuts, Surpluses and Sales Opportunities

The House GOP Budget: No tax reform details. The House Budget Committee unveiled a budget with $5.5 trillion in spending cuts that promises balance by 2024. Committee Chairman Tom Price is confident the budget will pass the House this week. However, TPC’s Howard Gleckman says there is no chance it

March 18, 2015Renu Zaretsky

: TaxVox

On Budgeting, Patience, and Rube Goldberg

Out today: A first look at GOP budgets. The US hit its debt limit yesterday (at least technically), and the budget battles have begun. The Senate GOP budget resolution reportedly won’t include detailed plans to overhaul entitlement programs—though the House GOP plan may. The Senate Budget panel

March 17, 2015Renu Zaretsky