Daily Deduction A Request, a Headache, and Tax Changes
Renu Zaretsky
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House Democrats request more IRS funding. Fifty lawmakers asked  the House Appropriations Committee to approve IRS funding of $12.9 billion for fiscal year 2018. That’s the same amount President Obama requested for fiscal year 2016. The IRS budget currently holds at $11.2 billion, $900 million less than its 2010 level. The Trump Administration wants to cut funding by another $239 million for 2018. Bipartisan support for industry whistleblowers who help the IRS. Senate Finance Committee Chair Orrin Hatch and top Democrat Ron Wyden are cosponsoring a bill to make it easier for IRS agents to work with whistleblowers who disclose tax frauds and other schemes. Feel a Tax Day headache coming on? Tune in April 7 and feel better, or at least, not alone.  The tax code’s complexity, especially at tax time, does little to reduce stress. How well do American taxpayers understand it? What makes people perceive their taxes as “fair,” and does understanding change their perceptions of fairness? Tax Policy Center fellow Vanessa Williamson will present new research on American taxpayers’ perceptions of the tax code as part of the second annual Lubick Symposium the Brookings Institution. Learn more and register here to attend in person or virtually. A new tax plan out of Kansas? This week state lawmakers are considering a flat tax of 5 percent on personal income. Currently, single taxpayers in Kansas pay 2.7 percent in state income tax on the first $15,000 of taxable income, and 4.6 percent on taxable income of $15,001 and more. Supporters say the higher flat tax could raise $871 million over two years.  Will the Georgia legislature agree to an income tax cut? The House and Senate hope to finalize negotiations today over a $200 million income tax cut. The cut would largely benefit  mostly higher income earners. Also in the legislation: Online retailers would be required to collect sales taxes. France’s presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron wants tax reform, not tax cuts. He would push back on substantial tax cuts in the short turn to boost the French economy, should he win the election. He instead plans structural reforms designed to promote long-term growth.  Interested in subscribing to the Daily Deduction, the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center summary of the day’s tax news? Sign-up here to get the Daily Deduction delivered to your inbox every morning. If you’d like to tell us about a new research paper or have any comments about our feature, email us.