October 1, 1994 The Cost of Unstable Tax Laws Arthur P. Hall, Ph.D. Arthur P. Hall, Ph.D. Print this page Subscribe Support our work Download Special Report No. 41 Special Report No. 41 Executive Summary The Internal Revenue Act of 1954 was landmark legislation that, for the first time, placed the income tax at the core of the federal tax system. In the 40 years since the passage of that Act, 31 significant federal tax enactments have taken place. On average, that amounts to a substantial amendment to the federal tax code every 1.3 years. Such instability in the tax code creates economic uncertainty among taxpayers, which, in turn, generates economic costs. Topics Center for Federal Tax Policy Business Taxes Data Individual and Consumption Taxes Individual Income and Payroll Taxes Individual Tax Compliance and Complexity Individual Tax Expenditures, Credits, and Deductions
