Economic effects of tax policy

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Working paper
Federal Budget and Economy

The Whiskey Rebellion and the Fight for Equal Taxation in Early America

In response to Hamilton’s upwardly redistributive “funding system,” which directed revenue from a regressive tax on whiskey to the wealthy owners of public debt, western Pennsylvania farmers revolted, seeking a new tax system that was “equal” – that is, proportionate to wealth. To the extent...

July 18, 2022
Vanessa Williamson
Testimony
Federal Budget and Economy

Tackling the Tax Code: Evaluating Fairness, Efficiency, and Potential to Spur Inclusive Economic Growth

On June 22, 2022, William Gale testified before the House Select Committee on Economic Disparity and Fairness in Growth in a hearing entitled, "Tackling the Tax Code: Evaluating Fairness, Efficiency, and Potential to Spur Inclusive Economic Growth."

June 22, 2022
William G. Gale
Research report
Federal Budget and Economy

New Evidence on The Effect of The TCJA On the Housing Market

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) dramatically changed tax law. It narrowed the subsidy on mortgage interest in several ways, which should lower mortgages and home prices; it also increased most taxpayers’ after-tax incomes, which should have the opposite effect. Thus, the TCJA’s overall...

March 30, 2022
Robert McClellandLivia MuccioloSafia Sayed
Brief
Federal Budget and Economy

How Did the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Of 2017 Affect the Housing Market?

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) dramatically changed tax law, including how taxpayers deduct the interest on their home mortgages. It narrowed the deduction in several ways, so we would expect new mortgages to be smaller than old ones. But it also raised most taxpayers’ after-tax...

March 30, 2022
Robert McClellandLivia MuccioloSafia Sayed
Brief
Federal Budget and Economy

First Things First: How Social Security Reform Can Eliminate Elderly Poverty

In this brief, we examine how Social Security proposals could eliminate poverty and relative poverty (defined as having low income relative to average wages in the economy) for older adults and people who receive Social Security Disability Insurance benefits. We add a basic minimum benefit to...

March 4, 2021
C. Eugene SteuerleKaren E. Smith
Brief
Individual Taxes

Tax Incentives for Charitable Contributions

This chartbook explores the implications of current-law income tax incentives for charitable donations along with several alternatives for tax deductions that are more universally available.

November 12, 2019
Robert McClellandC. Eugene SteuerleChenxi LuAravind Boddupalli
Brief
Individual Taxes

Rethinking Unemployment Insurance Taxes and Benefits

Unemployment Insurance (UI) serves a core purpose that is intuitive for both economists and noneconomists: it provides insurance against the risk of job loss. Because employment is the only or primary source of income for most families, job loss often delivers a financial blow that would be...

October 28, 2019
Ryan NunnDavid Ratner
Research report
Federal Budget and Economy

Rethinking Unemployment Insurance Taxes and Benefits

This paper addresses economic issues related to the unemployment insurance (UI) system, focusing on the worker- and employer-facing aspects of UI policy—i.e., the ways that benefits are provided to workers and that employers are taxed to fund those benefits. We outline principles for optimal...

October 27, 2019
Ryan NunnDavid Ratner
Research report
Individual Taxes

Investor Responsiveness to Capital Gains Taxes During the Great Recession

This paper uses a large panel of transaction-level capital asset sales data to investigate whether tax responsiveness varies with economic conditions. We estimate the tax elasticity associated with a large notch in the capital gains tax schedule, when the tax treatment changes from higher,...

September 10, 2019
Timothy DowdRobert McClellandJacob A. Mortenson
Research report
Federal Budget and Economy

Scaling Microsimulation Modeling in the Cloud: A Guide

This document introduces the goals of Modeling in the Cloud at the Urban Institute. It details how our cloud-based system uses continuous deployment, containers, an interface, and computing and storage components that leverage Amazon Web Services (AWS), then lists lessons learned and critical...

August 30, 2019
Jessica KellyKyle UeyamaAlyssa Harris