Why are tax expenditures controversial? Q.Why are tax expenditures controversial? A.To some, tax expenditures are spending items that do not belong in the tax code. To others, they are merely a way of reducing taxes, and repealing them would amount to a tax increase. Read more about Why are tax expenditures controversial?
How did the TCJA affect tax expenditures? Q.How did the TCJA affect tax expenditures? A.The TCJA reduced some tax expenditure provisions, eliminated others, and introduced and expanded still others. In addition to these direct changes in tax expenditure provisions, an increase in the standard deduction and lower individual and corporate tax rates reduced the number of taxpayers using tax expenditure provisions and the value of the tax benefits they receive. Read more about How did the TCJA affect tax expenditures?
How does the federal government spend its money? Q.How does the federal government spend its money? A.Federal spending totaled $4.4 trillion in 2019. About 62 percent of the total was for programs not subject to regular budget review, while nearly 30 percent covered discretionary programs for which Congress must regularly appropriate funds. Eight percent went for interest on government debt (figure 1). Read more about How does the federal government spend its money?
