Copy of Tax Policy

Tax Policy

Introduction to Tax Policy
Definition of Tax
4 Ps
Why Have Taxes?
No Perfect System
Ordinary Income vs. Capital Income
Constant Change in Tax Laws
Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (2017)
Tax Cuts 2.0
Roles of Tax Advisor
Types of Taxes
Regressive vs. Progressive Taxes
Tax Base
How Should Governments Tax?
Evaluating a Tax System or Specific Tax Proposal
**Early History:**Taxes → Revolution
Early History: The New Republic
Funding Government
Largest Source of Federal Tax Revenue
Types of Federal Taxes
Payroll Taxes
Total Federal Spending
Discretionary Spending (2017)
Federal Spending by Type
Biggest Category of Federal Government Spending
Social Security Trust Fund
Federal BudgetDeficit / Surplus
Changes in Government Debt
Negatives of Government Deficits
Positives of Government Deficits
Tax Cuts and Levels of Debt
OECD vs. US
Tax Expenditures
Congressional Budget Act of 1974
US Annual Reports
Income Tax
Civil War Years (1860-64)
Between Civil War and World War I
Provisions in the US Constitution Related to Taxes
**16th Amendment:**US Income Tax
Modern Income Tax
Tax Brackets and Rates for Unmarried vs. Married
Laffer Curve
Process
Central Role of Congress
Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT)
Benjamin Franklin
Key Players in Making US Tax Laws
Tax Bill to Law
Timeline for Tax Reform Act of 1986
Problem of the US Senate Rules
Budget Reconciliation Process
Effects from Tax Changes
Static vs. Dynamic Scoring
Byrd Rule
Ways to Work Around Byrd Rule
Tax Cut and Jobs Act Key Provisions
Grover Norquist’s Tax Pledge
Within Department of Treasure
US Treasury Regulations
Types of Regulations
What if Taxpayer Believes US Treasury Regulations Overstep Treasury Authority?
Treasury Guidance
Economic Efficiency
Economists’ Baseline: No Taxes
Deadweight Loss
Economic Distortions Due to Taxation
Marginal Tax Rates
Average Tax Rate
Effective Marginal Tax Rate
Effective Tax Rate
Tax Base Responsiveness
Tax Payers Do Not Always Respond Rationally to Tax Consequences
Education Tax Incentives
Environment / Energy Taxes
Carbon Tax
Automatic Economic Stabilizers
Fairness
Ability to Pay
Annual Accounting Concept
Annual Measurement + Progressive Rates = Income Bunching Problem
Horizontal vs. Vertical Equity
Vertical Equity
Income Inequality Trend
Tax Loopholes
Corporate Income Tax Rates
Who Bears Corporate Tax Burden?
Marriage Neutrality**(Only 2 Can be Satisfied)**
Adam Smith (1776)
Sources of Private Revenue
**Maxim 1:**Ability to Pay
**Maxim 2:**Certainty & Simplicity
**Maxim 3:**Administrable
**Maxim 4:**Economic Efficiency
Preface to Federal Taxation in America
Federal Tax Reforms
Transition to Retro-Liberal Regime
Victory of New Regime
New Tax Regime
Crisis
**Early History:**Taxes → Revolution
**Early History:**New Republic
Design Thinking Innovation Tax Incentives
Market Failure
US R&D Expenditures by Source of Funding \n 1953-2018
Design Questions to Consider
Externalities - Innovation Tax Incentives
WWII Era
Between the World Wars
World War II Timeline
Income Taxation Moves to Mass Taxation
Simplicity & Administrability
Trump Tax Law
Sources of Complexity of Federal Laws
Adverse Effects of Complexity
Net Tax Gap
Tax Gap Estimates for Tax Years 2011-2013
IRS Budget ReportJanuary 3, 2020
Underreporting Gap
Components of Tax Gap2011-2013 Average
IRS Audit Rate as % of All Returns
Small Businesses
Can Information Reporting Succeed in Digital/Decentralized Economy?
IRS Request for Private Sector to Propose Tool for IRS Auditors to Use to Access Social Media to Assist with Tax Audits
Complexity - Drafting Tax Laws
Simplification
Cost of Complexity - Compliance Burden
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Tax Regulations
Example of US Treasury Cost-Benefit Analysis (or Lack Thereof)
Broad Proposals for Simplification
Streamlining Audits and Dispute Resolution
Transparency vs. Confidentiality
Transparency vs. Privacy Interests
Presidential Rights
Penalties & Amnesties
Policy Objective of Penalties
Tax Loopholes
Certainty
Why Uncertainty Matters
Tax Holiday
Factors that Drive Uncertainty
Retroactive Tax Legislation - Courts
Transition Rules & Grandfathering
Transition from Income Tax to Consumption Tax
Expiring Tax Provisions
Bright Lines vs. Soft Doctrines
General Anti-Avoidance Rules (GAARs)
How Governments Can Provide Certainty
Tax Position Approval Before Filing
Tax Treaty Disputes
Post WWII (1945-1970s)
Class Taxation to Mass Taxation
Raising Taxes Without Tax Legislation
US Government Spending
Proliferation of Tax Expenditures
Domestic Tax Policy (General)
Sources of Income & Returns
Mitt Romney vs Hillary Clinton 2011 Federal Income Tax Returns and Their Average Tax Rates
Types of Returns from Capital
Income vs. Cash Flow Tax
Consumption Tax
Expensing = Exempt Routine Return
Expensing with Interest Deduction
US Treasury Economists Laura Power & Austin Frerick Research Paper, November 2016
Savings Tax Incentives
Retirement Plan Tax Policy: Roth Plan vs. Regular Plan
Capital Gains Taxation – Current Law
Preferential Taxation of Capital Gains
Capital Gains
State & Local Taxes (SALT) Deduction (Capped at $10,000 in TCJA)
State and Local Tax Deduction - Distribution
Domestic Tax Policy - Entities
Reagan and 1986 Tax Reform Act
1970s - Anti-Tax Sentiment Rises
Early 1980s - President Reagan (R)
1986 Tax Reform Act
Cross-Border Business Activities
How should taxation of residents/non-resident differ under domestic policy?
What taxing right should a country have to tax inbound activity?
Threshold question: Nexus
Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS)
Formulary Apportionment
International Tax Coordination
Governments & NGOs setting the rules
Tax Treaties- Overview
Tax Treaties -Principles and Trends
Stateless Income/Double non-taxation
Tax Treaties: Typical Provisions
Sourcing Business Income (no slide)
OECD Base erosion and Profit shifting (BEPS) Inclusive framework
Last 30 Years & TCJA of 2017
1990s: Bush Senior (R) and Clinton (D)
2000s: President George Bush (Jr) – 8 Years
2017: The “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act”