Over the past few years, the U.S. long-term fiscal situation has improved somewhat and short-term deficits have come down. Perhaps as a result, policy makers have largely turned their attention away from dealing with fiscal issues. The fiscal problem may well be forgotten, but its not gone....
This report presents three tax reforms designed to promote homeownership through a channel other than the deductibility of mortgage interest. These reforms include a first-time homebuyer tax credit, a refundable tax credit for property taxes paid, and an annual flat amount tax credit for...
In "100 Million Unnecessary Returns," Michael Graetz, professor of law at Columbia University, proposed sweeping tax reform that would remove most current taxpayers from the income tax rolls, reform the corporate income tax, significantly reduce the top individual and corporate rates, and adopt...
Newly released W-2 data from the Statistics of Income (SOI) Division of IRS describe in detail the wages and retirement contributions of workers from 2008 through 2010. SOI economists Kevin Pierce and Jon Gober provide an overview of the data and compare them with (much less detailed) data for...
While political leaders remain tied up in discussions of government shutdowns and debt ceiling increases, we focus on the medium- and long-term budget outlook, where more serious challenges lie. With the passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act, the imposition of the sequester, and changes in...
In this testimony before the Joint Economic Committee, Donald Marron offers Congress four pieces of advice as it faces the looming debt limit. First, Congress must increase the debt limit; failing to do so will result in severe economic harm. Second, Congress should not wait until the last...
The impact of tax reform on housing prices has traditionally been studied by examining the user cost of capital the after-tax cost to the homeowner per unit of housing. This brief summarizes findings from a new discrete period approach which considers the time element of housing investment and...
The benefits of itemized deductions for mortgage interest and property taxes vary by income and demographic characteristics. The two deductions increase after-tax income most for high-income families, particularly those with children, while low-income households hardly benefit at all. On average...
While taxation of overseas profits of U.S. multinational corporations has made the headlines lately, U.S. citizens who work overseas also face special rules. Unlike most countries, the United States requires that its citizens pay tax on their worldwide income (with a credit for foreign taxes...
Forgotten But Not Gone: The Long-Term Fiscal Imbalance
Over the past few years, the U.S. long-term fiscal situation has improved somewhat and short-term deficits have come down. Perhaps as a result, policy makers have largely turned their attention away from dealing with fiscal issues. The fiscal problem may well be forgotten, but its not gone....
New Perspectives on Homeownership Tax Incentives
This report presents three tax reforms designed to promote homeownership through a channel other than the deductibility of mortgage interest. These reforms include a first-time homebuyer tax credit, a refundable tax credit for property taxes paid, and an annual flat amount tax credit for...
Updated Tables for "Using a VAT to Reform the Income Tax"
In "100 Million Unnecessary Returns," Michael Graetz, professor of law at Columbia University, proposed sweeping tax reform that would remove most current taxpayers from the income tax rolls, reform the corporate income tax, significantly reduce the top individual and corporate rates, and adopt...
SOI Releases New Data From Form W-2
Newly released W-2 data from the Statistics of Income (SOI) Division of IRS describe in detail the wages and retirement contributions of workers from 2008 through 2010. SOI economists Kevin Pierce and Jon Gober provide an overview of the data and compare them with (much less detailed) data for...
Fiscal Myopia
While political leaders remain tied up in discussions of government shutdowns and debt ceiling increases, we focus on the medium- and long-term budget outlook, where more serious challenges lie. With the passage of the American Taxpayer Relief Act, the imposition of the sequester, and changes in...
Who Pays No Income Tax? A 2013 Update
TPC estimates that 43 percent of Americans will pay no federal income tax this year, down from the peak of 50 percent in 2008 and 2009.
The Costs of Debt Limit Brinksmanship
In this testimony before the Joint Economic Committee, Donald Marron offers Congress four pieces of advice as it faces the looming debt limit. First, Congress must increase the debt limit; failing to do so will result in severe economic harm. Second, Congress should not wait until the last...
New Estimates of Tax Reform's Effect on Housing Prices
The impact of tax reform on housing prices has traditionally been studied by examining the user cost of capital the after-tax cost to the homeowner per unit of housing. This brief summarizes findings from a new discrete period approach which considers the time element of housing investment and...
The Benefits of the Mortgage Interest and Property Tax Deductions
The benefits of itemized deductions for mortgage interest and property taxes vary by income and demographic characteristics. The two deductions increase after-tax income most for high-income families, particularly those with children, while low-income households hardly benefit at all. On average...
Taxes on Foreign Earned Income
While taxation of overseas profits of U.S. multinational corporations has made the headlines lately, U.S. citizens who work overseas also face special rules. Unlike most countries, the United States requires that its citizens pay tax on their worldwide income (with a credit for foreign taxes...