Skip to content

Evaluating U.S. Tax Reform Options & Trade-Offs

The economic crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic poses a triple challenge for tax policy in the United States. Lawmakers are tasked with crafting a policy response that will accelerate the economic recovery, reduce the mounting deficit, and protect the most vulnerable.

To assist lawmakers in navigating the challenge, and to help the American public understand the tax changes being proposed, the Tax Foundation’s Center for Federal Tax Policy modeled how 70 potential changes to the tax code would affect the U.S. economy, distribution of the tax burden, and federal revenue.

In tax policy there is an ever-present trade-off among how much revenue a tax will raise, who bears the burden of a tax, and what impact a tax will have on economic growth. Armed with the information in our new book, Options for Reforming America’s Tax Code 2.0, policymakers can debate the relative merits and trade-offs of each option to improve the tax code in a post-pandemic world.

Corporate tax reform analysis including corporate tax hike economic growth impact

Tax Reform Offsets Shouldn’t Offset Economic Growth

Pro-growth tax reform that does not add to the deficit will require tough choices, but whether to raise the corporate tax rate is not one of them. If lawmakers want to craft fiscally responsible and pro-growth tax reform, a higher corporate tax rate simply does not fit into the puzzle.

3 min read
Caitlin Clark State Tax Departments Angel Reese WNBA salaries and WNBA taxes

Caitlin Clark’s Other Audience: State Tax Departments

When Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese made their WNBA preseason debuts, basketball fans across the country tuned in. But there’s another audience that also follows along: state revenue officials, who will expect their piece of the pie each time these star athletes—and their teammates—come to town.

3 min read
State VMT Taxes Vehicle Miles Traveled Taxes

Vehicle Miles Traveled Taxes Rollout across States

Gas tax revenues have decoupled from road expenses and have been unable to support road funding in recent years. As such, states nationwide are exploring ways to supplement or replace gas tax revenues.

8 min read
2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act tax law has individual tax cuts expiring in 2025

Why Are the Individual Tax Cuts Expiring?

The TCJA improved the U.S. tax code, but the meandering voyage of its passing and the compromises made to get it into law show the challenges of the legislative process.

6 min read
How to Improve the Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax BEAT

How to Improve the Base Erosion and Anti-Abuse Tax

BEAT is intended to address a legitimate problem, and there are virtues to BEAT’s overall strategic approach; however, its execution leaves room for improvement.

7 min read
Americans Are Still Paying for the Biden-Trump Tariffs, See US Tariffs analysis

Americans Are Still Paying for the Trump-Biden Tariffs

If reelected, President Trump would drastically escalate the trade war he started during his first term. But what often goes unnoticed is President Biden’s role in continuing Trump’s first trade war. In fact, more tax revenue from the trade war tariffs has been collected under Biden than under Trump.

5 min read