Sensible Tax Reform

Sensible Tax Reform

Author: Christopher M. Korth

Publisher: Morgan James Publishing

Published: 2014-03-04

Total Pages: 247

ISBN-13: 1630470864

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The Internal Revenue Code of the American government is badly broken. Its more than seventy-seven thousand pages have created a tax system that is not understood by the businesses and individuals that must abide by it. Perhaps even worse, it is also not understood by either the Congressmen who wrote it or the Internal Revenue Service that is supposed to enforce it. What originated as a system for financing the federal government has devolved into a confusing system for what Newt Gingrich described as both left-wing and right-wing “social engineering.” Our Internal Revenue Code has been corrupted beyond repair. It needs to be completely revised. Many economists believe that a new federal tax system based upon consumption would be far superior to the current one based upon income. Simpler, more just, and much healthier for the economy, this type of system would: -sharply increase both personal income and business profits-encourage saving-discourage borrowing -be much easier to implement than an income-based tax system -save and create millions of jobs in this country Sensible Tax Reform—Simple, Just and Effective is a comprehensive yet relatively simple tax-reform proposal based primarily upon a federal consumption tax. The STR plan will completely replace our existing income-based federal tax system with a revolutionary new one. Businesses will pay no federal income or payroll taxes. Individuals will pay no payroll taxes (i.e., Social Security and Medicare), and few will pay any income taxes either. STR will open excellent opportunities for Americans to improve their standards of living and for our companies to regain the competitive vigor lost to the weak economy of recent years.


Book Synopsis Sensible Tax Reform by : Christopher M. Korth

Download or read book Sensible Tax Reform written by Christopher M. Korth and published by Morgan James Publishing. This book was released on 2014-03-04 with total page 247 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Internal Revenue Code of the American government is badly broken. Its more than seventy-seven thousand pages have created a tax system that is not understood by the businesses and individuals that must abide by it. Perhaps even worse, it is also not understood by either the Congressmen who wrote it or the Internal Revenue Service that is supposed to enforce it. What originated as a system for financing the federal government has devolved into a confusing system for what Newt Gingrich described as both left-wing and right-wing “social engineering.” Our Internal Revenue Code has been corrupted beyond repair. It needs to be completely revised. Many economists believe that a new federal tax system based upon consumption would be far superior to the current one based upon income. Simpler, more just, and much healthier for the economy, this type of system would: -sharply increase both personal income and business profits-encourage saving-discourage borrowing -be much easier to implement than an income-based tax system -save and create millions of jobs in this country Sensible Tax Reform—Simple, Just and Effective is a comprehensive yet relatively simple tax-reform proposal based primarily upon a federal consumption tax. The STR plan will completely replace our existing income-based federal tax system with a revolutionary new one. Businesses will pay no federal income or payroll taxes. Individuals will pay no payroll taxes (i.e., Social Security and Medicare), and few will pay any income taxes either. STR will open excellent opportunities for Americans to improve their standards of living and for our companies to regain the competitive vigor lost to the weak economy of recent years.


Reaping the Revenue Code

Reaping the Revenue Code

Author: Justin R. Ward

Publisher:

Published: 1989

Total Pages: 172

ISBN-13:

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Book Synopsis Reaping the Revenue Code by : Justin R. Ward

Download or read book Reaping the Revenue Code written by Justin R. Ward and published by . This book was released on 1989 with total page 172 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:


The Benefit and The Burden

The Benefit and The Burden

Author: Bruce Bartlett

Publisher: Simon and Schuster

Published: 2012-01-24

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 1451646267

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A thoughtful and surprising argument for American tax reform, arguably the most overdue political debate facing the nation, from one of the most respected political and economic thinkers, advisers, and writers of our time. THE UNITED STATES TAX CODE HAS UNDERGONE NO SERIOUS REFORM SINCE 1986. Since then, loopholes, exemptions, credits, and deductions have distorted its clarity, increased its inequity, and frustrated our ability to govern ourselves. By tracing the history of our own tax system and assessing the way other countries have solved similar problems, Bruce Bartlett explores the surprising answers to all these issues, giving a sense of the tax code’s many benefits—and its inevitable burdens. From one of the most respected political and economic thinkers, advisers, and writers of our time, The Benefit and the Burden is a thoughtful and surprising argument for American tax reform.


Book Synopsis The Benefit and The Burden by : Bruce Bartlett

Download or read book The Benefit and The Burden written by Bruce Bartlett and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2012-01-24 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A thoughtful and surprising argument for American tax reform, arguably the most overdue political debate facing the nation, from one of the most respected political and economic thinkers, advisers, and writers of our time. THE UNITED STATES TAX CODE HAS UNDERGONE NO SERIOUS REFORM SINCE 1986. Since then, loopholes, exemptions, credits, and deductions have distorted its clarity, increased its inequity, and frustrated our ability to govern ourselves. By tracing the history of our own tax system and assessing the way other countries have solved similar problems, Bruce Bartlett explores the surprising answers to all these issues, giving a sense of the tax code’s many benefits—and its inevitable burdens. From one of the most respected political and economic thinkers, advisers, and writers of our time, The Benefit and the Burden is a thoughtful and surprising argument for American tax reform.


Tax Reform for Fairness, Simplicity, and Economic Growth

Tax Reform for Fairness, Simplicity, and Economic Growth

Author: United States Dept of the Treasury of

Publisher: Palala Press

Published: 2018-02-20

Total Pages: 300

ISBN-13: 9781378170328

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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.


Book Synopsis Tax Reform for Fairness, Simplicity, and Economic Growth by : United States Dept of the Treasury of

Download or read book Tax Reform for Fairness, Simplicity, and Economic Growth written by United States Dept of the Treasury of and published by Palala Press. This book was released on 2018-02-20 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.


Corporate Tax Reform

Corporate Tax Reform

Author: Jane Gravelle

Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

Published: 2017-10-10

Total Pages: 66

ISBN-13: 9781978091900

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Interest in corporate tax reform that lowers the rate and broadens the base has developed in the past several years. Some discussions by economists in opinion pieces have suggested there is an urgent need to lower the corporate tax rate, but not necessarily to broaden the tax base, an approach that presents some difficulties given current budget pressures. Others see the corporate tax as a potential source of revenue. Arguments for lowering the corporate tax rate include the traditional concerns about economic distortions arising from the corporate tax and newer concerns arising from the increasingly global nature of the economy. Some claims have been made that lowering the corporate tax rate would raise revenue because of the behavioral responses, an effect that is linked to an open economy. Although the corporate tax has generally been viewed as contributing to a more progressive tax system because the burden falls on capital income and thus on higher-income individuals, claims have also been made that the burden falls not on owners of capital, but on labor income. The analysis in this report suggests that many of the concerns expressed about the corporate tax are not supported by empirical evidence. Claims that behavioral responses could cause revenues to rise if rates were cut do not hold up on either a theoretical or an empirical basis. Studies that purport to show a revenue-maximizing corporate tax rate of 30% (a rate lower than the current statutory tax rate) contain econometric errors that lead to biased and inconsistent results; when those problems are corrected the results disappear. Cross-country studies to provide direct evidence showing that the burden of the corporate tax actually falls on labor yield unreasonable results and prove to suffer from econometric flaws that also lead to a disappearance of the results when corrected, in those cases where data were obtained and the results replicated. Many studies that have been cited are not relevant to the United States because they reflect wage bargaining approaches and unions have virtually disappeared from the private sector in the United States. Overall, the evidence suggests that the tax is largely borne by capital. Similarly, claims that high U.S. tax rates will create problems for the United States in a global economy suffer from a misrepresentation of the U.S. tax rate compared with other countries and are less important when capital is imperfectly mobile, as it appears to be. Although these new arguments appear to rely on questionable methods, the traditional concerns about the corporate tax appear valid. While an argument may be made that the tax is still needed as a backstop to individual tax collections, it does result in some economic distortions. These economic distortions, however, have declined substantially over time as corporate rates and shares of output have fallen. Moreover, it is difficult to lower the corporate tax without creating a way of sheltering individual income given the low tax rates on dividends and capital gains. A number of revenue-neutral changes are available that could reduce these distortions, allow for a lower corporate statutory tax rate, and lead to a more efficient corporate tax system. These changes include base broadening, reducing the benefits of debt finance through inflation indexing, taxing large pass-through firms as corporations, and reducing the tax at the firm level offset by an increase at the individual level. Nevertheless, the scope for reducing the tax rate in a revenue-neutral way may be limited.


Book Synopsis Corporate Tax Reform by : Jane Gravelle

Download or read book Corporate Tax Reform written by Jane Gravelle and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2017-10-10 with total page 66 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Interest in corporate tax reform that lowers the rate and broadens the base has developed in the past several years. Some discussions by economists in opinion pieces have suggested there is an urgent need to lower the corporate tax rate, but not necessarily to broaden the tax base, an approach that presents some difficulties given current budget pressures. Others see the corporate tax as a potential source of revenue. Arguments for lowering the corporate tax rate include the traditional concerns about economic distortions arising from the corporate tax and newer concerns arising from the increasingly global nature of the economy. Some claims have been made that lowering the corporate tax rate would raise revenue because of the behavioral responses, an effect that is linked to an open economy. Although the corporate tax has generally been viewed as contributing to a more progressive tax system because the burden falls on capital income and thus on higher-income individuals, claims have also been made that the burden falls not on owners of capital, but on labor income. The analysis in this report suggests that many of the concerns expressed about the corporate tax are not supported by empirical evidence. Claims that behavioral responses could cause revenues to rise if rates were cut do not hold up on either a theoretical or an empirical basis. Studies that purport to show a revenue-maximizing corporate tax rate of 30% (a rate lower than the current statutory tax rate) contain econometric errors that lead to biased and inconsistent results; when those problems are corrected the results disappear. Cross-country studies to provide direct evidence showing that the burden of the corporate tax actually falls on labor yield unreasonable results and prove to suffer from econometric flaws that also lead to a disappearance of the results when corrected, in those cases where data were obtained and the results replicated. Many studies that have been cited are not relevant to the United States because they reflect wage bargaining approaches and unions have virtually disappeared from the private sector in the United States. Overall, the evidence suggests that the tax is largely borne by capital. Similarly, claims that high U.S. tax rates will create problems for the United States in a global economy suffer from a misrepresentation of the U.S. tax rate compared with other countries and are less important when capital is imperfectly mobile, as it appears to be. Although these new arguments appear to rely on questionable methods, the traditional concerns about the corporate tax appear valid. While an argument may be made that the tax is still needed as a backstop to individual tax collections, it does result in some economic distortions. These economic distortions, however, have declined substantially over time as corporate rates and shares of output have fallen. Moreover, it is difficult to lower the corporate tax without creating a way of sheltering individual income given the low tax rates on dividends and capital gains. A number of revenue-neutral changes are available that could reduce these distortions, allow for a lower corporate statutory tax rate, and lead to a more efficient corporate tax system. These changes include base broadening, reducing the benefits of debt finance through inflation indexing, taxing large pass-through firms as corporations, and reducing the tax at the firm level offset by an increase at the individual level. Nevertheless, the scope for reducing the tax rate in a revenue-neutral way may be limited.


The Ideologies of Taxation

The Ideologies of Taxation

Author: Louis Eisenstein

Publisher: Harvard University Press

Published: 2010-04-30

Total Pages: 241

ISBN-13: 0674046110

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Originally published in 1961, The Ideologies of Taxation is a classic of taxationÑa long-unavailable volume that remains uniquely applicable today. Louis Eisenstein starts from the idea that the tax system in a democracy is shaped by competing factions, each seeking to minimize its burden. Because few people are convinced by appeals to self-interest, factions must give reasons, which are skillfully elaborated into systems of belief or ideologies. EisensteinÕs aim is to examine (and debunk) three major ideologies used to justify various reforms of the tax system. The ideology of ability holds that taxes should be apportioned based on ability to pay and that this is properly measured by income or wealth. The ideology of deterrents is concerned with high taxes on private enterpriseÑlow and flat taxes are desired lest the wealthy reduce their work efforts and savings. The ideology of equity is focused on equal treatment of similarly situated individuals. Eisenstein shows, with sharp wit and an instinct for the jugular, how each of these ideologies is plagued with contradictions, incompleteness, and, in some cases, self-serving claims.


Book Synopsis The Ideologies of Taxation by : Louis Eisenstein

Download or read book The Ideologies of Taxation written by Louis Eisenstein and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2010-04-30 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Originally published in 1961, The Ideologies of Taxation is a classic of taxationÑa long-unavailable volume that remains uniquely applicable today. Louis Eisenstein starts from the idea that the tax system in a democracy is shaped by competing factions, each seeking to minimize its burden. Because few people are convinced by appeals to self-interest, factions must give reasons, which are skillfully elaborated into systems of belief or ideologies. EisensteinÕs aim is to examine (and debunk) three major ideologies used to justify various reforms of the tax system. The ideology of ability holds that taxes should be apportioned based on ability to pay and that this is properly measured by income or wealth. The ideology of deterrents is concerned with high taxes on private enterpriseÑlow and flat taxes are desired lest the wealthy reduce their work efforts and savings. The ideology of equity is focused on equal treatment of similarly situated individuals. Eisenstein shows, with sharp wit and an instinct for the jugular, how each of these ideologies is plagued with contradictions, incompleteness, and, in some cases, self-serving claims.


Environmental Tax Reform (ETR)

Environmental Tax Reform (ETR)

Author: Paul Ekins

Publisher:

Published: 2011

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13:

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A comprehensive analysis of an environmental tax reform where people are taxed on pollution and the use of natural resources instead of on their income, this book looks at the challenges involved in implementing this tax reform across Europe.


Book Synopsis Environmental Tax Reform (ETR) by : Paul Ekins

Download or read book Environmental Tax Reform (ETR) written by Paul Ekins and published by . This book was released on 2011 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A comprehensive analysis of an environmental tax reform where people are taxed on pollution and the use of natural resources instead of on their income, this book looks at the challenges involved in implementing this tax reform across Europe.


The Analysis of Household Surveys (Reissue Edition with a New Preface)

The Analysis of Household Surveys (Reissue Edition with a New Preface)

Author: Angus Deaton

Publisher: World Bank Publications

Published: 2019-01-10

Total Pages: 494

ISBN-13: 1464813523

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Two decades after its original publication, The Analysis of Household Surveys is reissued with a new preface by its author, Sir Angus Deaton, recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. This classic work remains relevant to anyone with a serious interest in using household survey data to shed light on policy issues. The book reviews the analysis of household survey data, including the construction of household surveys, the econometric tools useful for such analysis, and a range of problems in development policy for which this survey analysis can be applied. Chapter 1 describes the features of survey design that need to be understood in order to undertake appropriate analysis. Chapter 2 discusses the general econometric and statistical issues that arise when using survey data for estimation and inference. Chapter 3 covers the use of survey data to measure welfare, poverty, and distribution. Chapter 4 focuses on the use of household budget data to explore patterns of household demand. Chapter 5 discusses price reform, its effects on equity and efficiency, and how to measure them. Chapter 6 addresses the role of household consumption and saving in economic development. The book includes an appendix providing code and programs using STATA, which can serve as a template for users' own analysis.


Book Synopsis The Analysis of Household Surveys (Reissue Edition with a New Preface) by : Angus Deaton

Download or read book The Analysis of Household Surveys (Reissue Edition with a New Preface) written by Angus Deaton and published by World Bank Publications. This book was released on 2019-01-10 with total page 494 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two decades after its original publication, The Analysis of Household Surveys is reissued with a new preface by its author, Sir Angus Deaton, recipient of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Economic Sciences. This classic work remains relevant to anyone with a serious interest in using household survey data to shed light on policy issues. The book reviews the analysis of household survey data, including the construction of household surveys, the econometric tools useful for such analysis, and a range of problems in development policy for which this survey analysis can be applied. Chapter 1 describes the features of survey design that need to be understood in order to undertake appropriate analysis. Chapter 2 discusses the general econometric and statistical issues that arise when using survey data for estimation and inference. Chapter 3 covers the use of survey data to measure welfare, poverty, and distribution. Chapter 4 focuses on the use of household budget data to explore patterns of household demand. Chapter 5 discusses price reform, its effects on equity and efficiency, and how to measure them. Chapter 6 addresses the role of household consumption and saving in economic development. The book includes an appendix providing code and programs using STATA, which can serve as a template for users' own analysis.


Taxing Ourselves, fourth edition

Taxing Ourselves, fourth edition

Author: Joel Slemrod

Publisher: MIT Press

Published: 2008-02-08

Total Pages: 397

ISBN-13: 026226482X

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The fourth edition of a popular guide to the key issues in tax reform, discussing the current system and alternative proposals clearly and without a political agenda. As Albert Einstein may or may not have said, "The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." Indeed, to follow the debate over tax reform, the interested citizen is forced to choose between misleading sound bites and academic treatises. Taxing Ourselves bridges the gap between the two by discussing the key issues clearly and without a political agenda: Should the federal income tax be replaced with a flat tax or sales tax? Should it be left in place and reformed? Can tax cuts stimulate the economy, or will higher deficits undermine any economic benefit? Authors and tax policy experts Joel Slemrod and Jon Bakija lay out in accessible language what is known and not known about how taxes affect the economy, offer guidelines for evaluating tax systems, and provide enough information to assess both the current income tax system and the leading proposals to reform or replace it (including the flat tax and the consumption tax). The fourth edition of this popular guide has been extensively revised to incorporate the latest information, covering such recent developments as the Bush administration's tax cuts (which expire in 2011) and the alternatives proposed by the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform. Slemrod and Bakija provide us with the knowledge and the tools—including an invaluable voter's guide to the tax policy debate—to make our own informed choices about how we should tax ourselves.


Book Synopsis Taxing Ourselves, fourth edition by : Joel Slemrod

Download or read book Taxing Ourselves, fourth edition written by Joel Slemrod and published by MIT Press. This book was released on 2008-02-08 with total page 397 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The fourth edition of a popular guide to the key issues in tax reform, discussing the current system and alternative proposals clearly and without a political agenda. As Albert Einstein may or may not have said, "The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." Indeed, to follow the debate over tax reform, the interested citizen is forced to choose between misleading sound bites and academic treatises. Taxing Ourselves bridges the gap between the two by discussing the key issues clearly and without a political agenda: Should the federal income tax be replaced with a flat tax or sales tax? Should it be left in place and reformed? Can tax cuts stimulate the economy, or will higher deficits undermine any economic benefit? Authors and tax policy experts Joel Slemrod and Jon Bakija lay out in accessible language what is known and not known about how taxes affect the economy, offer guidelines for evaluating tax systems, and provide enough information to assess both the current income tax system and the leading proposals to reform or replace it (including the flat tax and the consumption tax). The fourth edition of this popular guide has been extensively revised to incorporate the latest information, covering such recent developments as the Bush administration's tax cuts (which expire in 2011) and the alternatives proposed by the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform. Slemrod and Bakija provide us with the knowledge and the tools—including an invaluable voter's guide to the tax policy debate—to make our own informed choices about how we should tax ourselves.


The Political Economy of Tax Reform

The Political Economy of Tax Reform

Author: Takatoshi Ito

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2007-12-01

Total Pages: 362

ISBN-13: 0226387003

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The rapid emergence of East Asia as an important geopolitical-economic entity has been one of the most visible and striking changes in the international economy in recent years. With that emergence has come an increased need for understanding the problems of interdependence. As a step toward meeting this need, the National Bureau of Economic Research joined with the Korea Development Institute to sponsor this volume, which focuses on the complexities of tax reform in a global economy. Experts from Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines, Japan, and Thailand, as well as the United States, Canada, and Israel examine the major tax programs of the 1980s and their domestic and international economic effects. The analyses reveal similarities between the United States and countries in East Asia in political constraints on policy making, and taken together they show how growing interdependence interacts with domestic economic and political concerns to affect issues as politically vital as tax reform. Economists, policymakers, and members of the business community will benefit from these studies.


Book Synopsis The Political Economy of Tax Reform by : Takatoshi Ito

Download or read book The Political Economy of Tax Reform written by Takatoshi Ito and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2007-12-01 with total page 362 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The rapid emergence of East Asia as an important geopolitical-economic entity has been one of the most visible and striking changes in the international economy in recent years. With that emergence has come an increased need for understanding the problems of interdependence. As a step toward meeting this need, the National Bureau of Economic Research joined with the Korea Development Institute to sponsor this volume, which focuses on the complexities of tax reform in a global economy. Experts from Taiwan, Korea, the Philippines, Japan, and Thailand, as well as the United States, Canada, and Israel examine the major tax programs of the 1980s and their domestic and international economic effects. The analyses reveal similarities between the United States and countries in East Asia in political constraints on policy making, and taken together they show how growing interdependence interacts with domestic economic and political concerns to affect issues as politically vital as tax reform. Economists, policymakers, and members of the business community will benefit from these studies.