Research report

This paper analyzes the House GOP tax reform blueprint, which would significantly reduce marginal tax rates, increase standard deduction amounts, repeal personal exemptions and most itemized deductions, allow businesses to expense new investment, and not allow businesses to deduct net interest...

September 16, 2016
James R. NunnsLeonard E. BurmanJeffrey RohalyJoseph RosenbergBenjamin R. Page
Research report

This report finds that both federal and state income taxes are generally progressive but (1) state systems are much less progressive than the federal system and (2) the degree of progressivity varies widely among the states. Federal income taxes became more progressive following 2012 legislation...

June 29, 2016
Frank SammartinoNorton Francis
Research report

Donald Trump’s tax plan would cost about $6 trillion over 10 years. Trump claims his plan would cut taxes for every income group, with the largest tax cuts for working- and middle-class families. But despite its enormous price tag, his plan would actually significantly raise taxes for millions...

October 28, 2016
Lily L. Batchelder
Research report

This paper updates an analysis of Hillary Clinton’s tax proposals, which would raise taxes on high-income taxpayers, increase the child tax credit, modify taxation of multinational corporations, reform capital gains taxes, and increase estate and gift taxes. Her proposals would increase revenue...

October 18, 2016
Richard C. AuxierLeonard E. BurmanJames R. NunnsJeffrey Rohaly
Research report

This paper analyzes presidential candidate Donald Trump’s revised tax proposal, which would significantly reduce marginal tax rates, increase standard deduction amounts, repeal personal exemptions, cap itemized deductions, and allow businesses to elect to expense new investment and not deduct...

October 18, 2016
James R. NunnsLeonard E. BurmanJeffrey RohalyJoseph Rosenberg
Research report

This paper examines how changes to the individual income tax affect long-term economic growth. The structure and financing of a tax change are critical to achieving economic growth. Tax rate cuts may encourage individuals to work, save, and invest, but if the tax cuts are not financed by...

September 9, 2014
William G. GaleAndrew Samwick
Research report

Controversy rages about how to tax carried interest. One view sees carry as compensation that should be taxed like other labor income. Another sees carry as a reward for financial risk-taking that should be taxed like capital income. A third sees carry as creating a costly tax arbitrage. In this...

October 6, 2016
Donald Marron
Research report

This paper provides estimates of the total cost of non-business tax expenditures claimed on individual tax returns, taking account of interactions among provisions, and of their distributional effects among income groups. We estimate that non-business tax expenditures reduced tax liability by $1...

September 26, 2016
Eric ToderDaniel BergerYifan Powers
Research report

This report takes an investigative look at federal revenue spent on professional sports stadiums. Visit the Brookings Institution's website to try...

September 1, 2016
Ted GayerAustin J. DrukkerAlexander K. Gold
Research report

US fiscal policy has long been unsustainable, driven largely by automatically growing entitlement spending and insufficient revenues. Often overlooked is the extent to which this preordained fiscal policy limits policymakers’ discretion to act on new priorities each year. This study lays out...

September 14, 2016
Rudolph G. PennerC. Eugene Steuerle