The voices of Tax Policy Center's researchers and staff
The White House is delaying the report of its tax reform panel until “after the holidays.”
According to a blog posting by top economic adviser Austan Goolsbee, the President's Economic Recovery Advisory Board is delaying the report so it can review new proposals for reform. However, the panel still plans to release only what board chairman Paul Volcker calls “an almanac” of reform ideas. It will not endorse specific proposals or make any recommendations. The report had been due on Friday.
The panel has been severely constrained in its ability to consider broad-based reforms by President Obama’s insistence that taxes cannot be raised on families making less than $250,000. Thus, it is only looking at tax simplification, enhanced enforcement, and corporate reforms.
The White House statement says the board has not yet had time to review the hundreds of ideas it has received from the public. At the time same time, it asked for more suggestions. Yet, it is hard to believe that the panel is going to hear much new. After all, the ground of simplification and enforcement has been pretty well-plowed for years. And, as one observer asks, "How long does it take to type a laundry list?"
Who knows, maybe somebody important wants the panel to publish a more useful document.
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