Leonard Burman's testimony before the U.S. House of Representative's Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Finance Committee on tax reform and the tax treatment of capital gains.
Political leaders and commentators frequently claim that the policies they favor will make the United States more competitive, without defining what competiveness between countries means. This paper defines competitiveness as a contest between nations for scarce and mobile resources and explores...
This article presents IRS data on corporate dividends paid and received. Following the 2003 legislation that lowered the individual tax rate on dividends, roughly $350 billion of net corporate dividends have been paid annually. Less than half that amount has shown up as qualified dividend income...
A candidate for office effectively divides the population into the "deserving," who should get more benefits or tax cuts (or at least should not pay more taxes or lose benefits), and the "undeserving," who are not carrying their own weight. But he or she doesn't want to put very many people in...
Encouraging savings and assets among low- and moderate-income families should be part of the national strategy to restore household and economic stability. Research shows that low-income families can and do save. Savings can help families weather emergencies and prosper, and asset building can...
A recent TPC paper examined tradeoffs among revenues, progressivity and tax rates in tax reform. It concluded that, under certain assumptions, any revenue-neutral plan along the lines Governor Romney has outlined would reduce taxes for high-income households, thus requiring higher taxes on other...
This paper examines the tradeoffs among three competing goals that are inherent in a revenue-neutral income tax reformmaintaining tax revenues, ensuring a progressive tax system, and lowering marginal tax ratesdrawing on the example of the tax policies advanced in presidential candidate Mitt...
Kids' Share 2012: Report on Federal Expenditures on Children through 2011, a sixth annual report, looks comprehensively at trends over the past 50 years in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. Key findings suggest that the size and composition of expenditures on children...
Kids' Share 2012: Report on Federal Expenditures on Children through 2011, a sixth annual report, looks comprehensively at trends in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. This appendix details our data sources, the programs we include, and the methodology used to estimate...
Recent budget pressures have led many states to cut future pension benefits for state workers. Using New Jersey as a case study, this report describes how these reforms ignore larger employee recruitment and retention issues for today's more mobile workforce. State retirement plans generally do...
Tax Reform and the Tax Treatment of Capital Gains
Leonard Burman's testimony before the U.S. House of Representative's Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Finance Committee on tax reform and the tax treatment of capital gains.
International Competitiveness: Who Competes Against Whom and for What?
Political leaders and commentators frequently claim that the policies they favor will make the United States more competitive, without defining what competiveness between countries means. This paper defines competitiveness as a contest between nations for scarce and mobile resources and explores...
Corporate Dividends Paid and Received, 2003-2009
This article presents IRS data on corporate dividends paid and received. Following the 2003 legislation that lowered the individual tax rate on dividends, roughly $350 billion of net corporate dividends have been paid annually. Less than half that amount has shown up as qualified dividend income...
The 1 Percent (Political) Solution
A candidate for office effectively divides the population into the "deserving," who should get more benefits or tax cuts (or at least should not pay more taxes or lose benefits), and the "undeserving," who are not carrying their own weight. But he or she doesn't want to put very many people in...
Savings: The Poor Can Save, Too
Encouraging savings and assets among low- and moderate-income families should be part of the national strategy to restore household and economic stability. Research shows that low-income families can and do save. Savings can help families weather emergencies and prosper, and asset building can...
Implications of Governor Romney's Tax Proposals: FAQs and Responses
A recent TPC paper examined tradeoffs among revenues, progressivity and tax rates in tax reform. It concluded that, under certain assumptions, any revenue-neutral plan along the lines Governor Romney has outlined would reduce taxes for high-income households, thus requiring higher taxes on other...
On the Distributional Effects of Base-Broadening Income Tax Reform
This paper examines the tradeoffs among three competing goals that are inherent in a revenue-neutral income tax reformmaintaining tax revenues, ensuring a progressive tax system, and lowering marginal tax ratesdrawing on the example of the tax policies advanced in presidential candidate Mitt...
Kids' Share 2012
Kids' Share 2012: Report on Federal Expenditures on Children through 2011, a sixth annual report, looks comprehensively at trends over the past 50 years in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. Key findings suggest that the size and composition of expenditures on children...
Data Appendix to Kids' Share 2012
Kids' Share 2012: Report on Federal Expenditures on Children through 2011, a sixth annual report, looks comprehensively at trends in federal spending and tax expenditures on children. This appendix details our data sources, the programs we include, and the methodology used to estimate...
Are Pension Reforms Helping States Attract and Retain the Best Workers?
Recent budget pressures have led many states to cut future pension benefits for state workers. Using New Jersey as a case study, this report describes how these reforms ignore larger employee recruitment and retention issues for today's more mobile workforce. State retirement plans generally do...