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.

Overview of the Senate’s Amendment to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
The Chairman’s Mark of the Senate’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act includes a number of important changes. Here’s a quick overview of those that matter most.
3 min read
Who Gets a Tax Cut Under the Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act?
Here’s how the individual income tax provisions of the Senate’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act would impact individuals and families across the income spectrum.
5 min read

Eight Important Changes in the Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
The Senate Tax Cuts and Jobs Act includes hundreds of structural reforms to the tax code. Here is a guide to the eight most important changes.
5 min read
Important Differences Between House and Senate Versions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
This list, though not exhaustive, catalogues the major differences between the House and Senate version of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.
4 min read
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 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.
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Response to Washington Center for Equitable Growth Tax Model Critique
The Tax Foundation is grateful for all constructive feedback on its estimates, and will continue to strive to estimate the economic, revenue, and distributional effects of tax changes with the greatest accuracy possible.
1 min read
How The Tax Cut and Jobs Act Would Change International Business Taxation
One goal of the House Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is to move international business taxation to a territorial rather than a worldwide system. Here’s how it would work.
7 min read
Benefits of the House Tax Cuts and Jobs Act for the Lower-Middle Class
According to the Taxes and Growth model, the House Tax Cuts and Jobs Act should increase after-tax income by 4.5 percent for those in the second-lowest quintile, and by 4.6 percent for those in the middle quintile.
3 min read