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.

2022 Kentucky budget tax reform proposals 2022 Kentucky tax reform plan Kentucky legislature, Kentucky tax on vapor products, Kentucky tax reform

Will Kentucky Build Upon Its 2018 Reforms This Year?

As Kentucky policymakers make final decisions on tax relief this year, they should make the most of this opportunity to return excess tax collections in a manner that would also enhance the Bluegrass State’s prospects for long-term economic growth.

5 min read
gas tax definition windfall profits tax oil and gas profits oil company profits windfall tax

Windfall Profits Tax Wrong for American Energy

As oil prices skyrocket, a windfall profits tax targeted at oil company profits could punish domestic production and increase reliance on imports.

3 min read
carbon tax research and analyis see carbon tax resources tax foundation

Russia’s Ukrainian War Could Impact EU Carbon Proposal Too

Given the uncertainty surrounding the war in Ukraine, future trade relations with Russia, and the overall CBAM revenue structure. The EU will need to adjust policy when challenges arise as it looks to increase its role in fiscal affairs through new own resources.

5 min read
Biden research and development tax treatment of R&D expenses R&D expensing R&D tax treatment in the US US COVID19 fiscal response Comparing fiscal responses to the pandemic House Democrats tax plan US competitiveness Build Back Better Act reconciliation bill

To Stimulate R&D Investment, Stop Penalizing it in the Tax Code

In his State of the Union Address, President Biden called for leveling the global research & development (R&D) playing field by increasing federal R&D spending, specifically by asking Congress to pass the bipartisan United States Innovation and Competition Act (USICA).

3 min read
pillar two global minimum tax model rules GILTI 2019 Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income

Accounting for the Global Minimum Tax

Double taxation impacts the ability of companies to invest valuable things like improving their supply chains, developing new products, and hiring workers, and it can be fixed if the minimum tax uses a country’s own tax rate.

8 min read
Iowa tax reform including Iowa property tax reform Governor Kim Reynolds

Iowa Enacts Sweeping Tax Reform

Even if 2022 sees many tax reforms, the scope of Iowa’s tax relief measures is likely to stand out. With the most recent reform package, Iowa lawmakers have made a significant investment in a more competitive tax climate for an increasingly competitive era.

6 min read