TaxVox

The voices of Tax Policy Center's researchers and staff

Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

How Tax Policy Can Promote Opportunity for All, And Not Just The Few

April 28, 2016 –
Elected officials love to talk about expanding opportunity in America, but few do anything about it. And in a recent report I found that spending for those federal programs that do aim to promote opportunity for all, such as work incentives and support for education, are on a path to shrink as a share of government resources.
Business Taxes

No, Value-Added Taxes are Not Bad for Small Business

April 27, 2016 –
Value-added taxes (VATs) have been attracting growing attention in the United States. GOP presidential hopeful Ted Cruz has proposed a VAT as part of...
Business Taxes

A Broader Perspective on Corporate Tax Reform

April 26, 2016 –
Just about everyone wants to redesign the corporate tax, but there is little agreement among lawmakers or policy analysts on how to pay for such a reform. At a Senate Finance Committee hearing today , Tax Policy Center co-director Eric Toder urged lawmakers to think beyond the traditional cut-the-rates, broaden-the-base solution.
Individual Taxes

Sanders is right: Philadelphia’s proposed soda tax is regressive though fairly small

April 26, 2016 –
Last month, Philadelphia became the latest city to propose taxing soda and other sugar-sweetened beverages. Such taxes have become popular as more evidence links sugar consumption to poor health and greater health expenditures .
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

Governor Kasich: Tell Us Your Tax Ideas

April 21, 2016 –
Yesterday, GOP presidential hopeful John Kasich told The Washington Post editorial board that he should be elected because he is the candidate of...
Individual Taxes

Congress May Be About To Miss a Chance to Fix A Tax Prep Problem

April 19, 2016 –
The Senate Finance Committee is about to miss an opportunity to fix a problem Congress has been complaining about for years. Tomorrow, the panel is...
Individual Taxes

President Obama’s 2015 Income Tax Return

April 19, 2016 –
Like millions of other Americans, President and Mrs. Obama filed their 2015 tax return shortly before yesterday’s deadline. Unlike most of us, they...

Tax Day From The Trenches: How the IRS Handles Identity Theft

April 18, 2016 –
The IRS and the Justice Department are working hard to combat stolen identity return fraud. But one important security tool is making life needlessly...
State and Local Issues

A Closer Look at the State and Local Tax Deduction

April 15, 2016 –
Recent federal tax reform proposals reflect strikingly different visions for future revenue policy. But they have one feature in common: Nearly all...
Campaigns, Proposals, and Reforms

The Best—And Worst—Tax Ideas of the 2016 Presidential Campaign

April 14, 2016 –
It is only April and we have heard presidential candidates propose some of the biggest and most ambitious tax plans i n modern US history. Donald...