Skip to content

Neutral Cost Recovery

All Related Articles

estimated economic impact of improved cost recovery by state

Estimated Impact of Improved Cost Recovery Treatment by State

We estimate that moving to permanent full expensing and neutral cost recovery for structures would add more than 1 million full-time equivalent jobs to the long-run economy and boost the long-run capital stock by $4.8 trillion.

4 min read

Why Neutral Cost Recovery Is Good for Workers

Studies have shown that accelerated depreciation helps increase wage growth. A recent report found that states that implemented accelerated depreciation in their tax codes led to a 2.5 percent increase in compensation per employee in manufacturing, relative to states that did not.

3 min read
Indirect tax definition corporate income tax base corporate tax base how neutral cost recovery works, factory, business equipment depreciation schedules

Answering Four Questions About How Neutral Cost Recovery Works in Practice

A neutral cost recovery system lowers the short-term cost of the policy to the federal government while providing nearly equivalent economic benefits. While neutral cost recovery is not a new idea, there are several policy questions lawmakers will want to consider when designing this system.

6 min read
Neutral Cost Recovery, Jack Kemp, Bob Kasten

Neutral Cost Recovery Is Not a New Idea

As stated by Rep. Jack Kemp in 1985, “Neutral cost recovery is designed to provide the present value of investment expensing without some of its practical problems.”

5 min read
Understanding the Tax Treatment of Inventory: The Role of LIFO

Options for Improving the Tax Treatment of Structures

Improving the tax treatment of structures is one of the most cost-effective tax policy changes available to lawmakers as they consider how to remove investment barriers in the tax code to hasten the economic recovery. Policymakers must weigh the trade-offs among long-run economic output goals, revenue constraints, and the existing stock of structures.

13 min read
LIFO tax treatment of inventory LIFO repeal US supply chain resiliency Biden small business taxes Biden tax plan small business impact Investments in long-lived assets, such as structures, must be deducted over long cost recovery periods: up to 27.5 years (for residential buildings) or 39 years (for nonresidential buildings), cost recovery of buildings.

Reducing the Bias Against Long-term Investments

Other countries have shown that providing deductions in line with invested capital costs can have positive impacts both on investment and on debt bias.

7 min read
White House considers capital gains tax cut, neutral cost recovery, full expensing amid coronavirus economic relief options, coronavirus business relief

White House Considers Neutral Cost Recovery for Structures

When considering long-term policies for increasing long-run levels of investment and economic growth, full expensing and neutral cost recovery are better targeted than policies like a capital gains cut.

6 min read