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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.

Minnesota income tax reform bill

Minnesota’s Omnibus Tax Bill Would Undermine the State Economy

As policymakers in St. Paul finalize this year’s tax bill, they should avoid policies that incentivize the diversion or relocation of capital. Importantly, states do not institute tax policy in a vacuum. The evidence from states’ experiences and the academic literature supports the conclusion that tax competitiveness matters not just to businesses but to human flourishing.

15 min read
What the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism Means for Europe and the United States EU CBAM or EU carbon border tax

What the EU’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism Means for Europe and the United States

The Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) is a key aspect of the EU’s broader Fit for 55 package which aims to cut 55 percent of net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the EU by 2030. The growing number of competing climate policies between the EU and U.S., such as tax provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, could present policymakers on both sides of the Atlantic an opportunity to work together.

5 min read
Inflation Reduction Act Medicare Prescription Drug Price Controls

Inflation Reduction Act’s Price Controls Are Deterring New Drug Development

As predicted, the Inflation Reduction Act’s misguided price-setting policy is already discouraging drug development. Rather than double down on it, as President Biden proposes doing in his budget, lawmakers ought to restore incentives to invest in the United States.

5 min read
EU tax revenue stability amid global financial crisis European public debt crisis and Eurozone recession tax policy

Tax Policy and Economic Downturns in Europe

While some temporary policies can help in a crisis, policymakers should focus their efforts on sustainable policies that support growth and the resilience of businesses (and government coffers) over the long term.

6 min read
What Companies Do with Profits, including retained profits versus distributed profits like Biden stock buybacks tax and dividend payments

A Better Way to Tax Stock Buybacks

The distributed profits tax is a sounder approach to concerns about investment and stock buybacks than the existing policy approach.

6 min read
unlocking global growth and role of taxation in promoting economic growth Tax Conference

How to Unlock Global Growth: The Role of Taxation

Our recent policy conference brought together academics and political leaders to present research on some of the most pressing issues in global tax policy and to discuss solutions that can unlock genuine global growth.

9 min read