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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.

Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

Details of the Senate Version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

The Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act shares many things with its House counterpart, but also differs on several particulars. This guide consolidates all of the details of the Senate plan in one convenient location.

3 min read
small business pass-through tax

Small Pass-Through Businesses Would See Some Benefits Under the House Tax Cuts and Jobs Act

Even with large changes, many in the pass-through community are arguing that small pass-throughs don’t benefit since most or all of their taxable income falls below the 25 percent maximum rate. While correct on the small point, advocates miss the greater tax reform picture. Small pass-through businesses would still benefit from a number of other changes.

2 min read