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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.

Details and analysis of European Tax Trends and European Tax Reforms

Tax Trends in European Countries

In recent years, European countries have undertaken a series of tax reforms designed to maintain tax revenue levels while protecting households and businesses from high inflation.

8 min read
USITC Report Highlights Trade-Offs of Using Tariffs United States International Trade Commission Trump Tariffs

USITC Report Highlights Trade-Offs of Using Tariffs

The assessment of the tariffs President-elect Donald Trump imposed in 2018 and 2019 is clear: the policies have had a negative effect on American’s welfare.

4 min read
EU BEFIT proposal for Business in Europe Framework for Income Taxation

BEFIT: One-Stop-Shop or One-More-Stop?

On 12 September, the European Commission released a proposal called “Business in Europe: Framework for Income Taxation” (BEFIT) and two associated proposals on transfer pricing and a Head of Office tax system.

6 min read
State semiconductor incentives and subsidies in the wake of the federal CHIPS Act or CHIPS and Science Act R&D legislation

States Enact Semiconductor Subsidies in the Wake of CHIPS

Policymakers at all levels of government should avoid the pitfalls of incentives. Instead, they should focus on creating a more efficient, neutral, and structurally sound tax code to the benefit of all types of business investment.

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US Pillar Two responses should include a policy response from Congress on the OECD global tax deal's global minimum tax

How the U.S. Can Piece Together a Solution for Pillar Two

Congress should recognize that Pillar Two has significant U.S.-specific downsides, but also that it cannot unilaterally stop Pillar Two from taking effect. Instead, it should carefully consider a policy response for the next Congress, when a variety of forces are likely to compel it to act.

7 min read
trade deficit and us trade and tax policy analysis

Debunking Myths about the Trade Deficit

Politicians often bemoan the trade deficit, but their disdain for this economic statistic is largely misplaced. The trade deficit reflects deeper choices about how we use our money, and reducing it may require lowering our standard of living.

4 min read