To encourage saving for retirement, private pensions such as employer sponsored 401(k) plans or IRAs receive favorable tax treatment by the federal government. A major goal of such tax provisions is to increase personal saving. A measure of the value of these tax benefits is provided by the...
For the last several years, Congress has been on a spending spree unlike any in the nation’s history — a turnaround of about 7 percent of gross domestic product in going from surplus to deficit. In addition to size, what made this spree unique was that tax cuts, defense increases, large...
The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 includes a major attempt to reform the tax rules for deferred compensation arrangements covering corporate managers. This paper examines the tax policy and corporate-governance policy objectives of the reform effort, explores the shortcomings of the...
[Marketplace] While everyone is focusing on those things President Bush and Senator John Kerry disagree about, perhaps they should be paying attention to those things on which they do agree. Senior fellow and Tax Policy Center co-director, Len Burman, takes a look at what he calls the "...
Recent and proposed fiscal policies--the tax cuts, proposals to make them permanent, and the Medicare prescription drug bill--will hurt economic prospects for most of today's children and all future generations. The programs will leave economic growth largely unchanged, but will redistribute...
Before 1984, Social Security benefits were exempt from income tax. As part of the Greenspan Commission reforms intended to bolster Social Security's finances, up to 50 percent of Social Security benefits became subject to tax in that year, with proceeds from the income tax allocated to the...
Social Security was designed to redistribute income from those with higher lifetime earnings to those with lower lifetime earnings. The reason is obvious: the system was created to ensure an adequate retirement income for the elderly. Less obvious is how Social Security's many provisions...
The federal earned income tax credit (EITC) was established in 1975 as part of the individual income tax to offset payroll taxes for low-income working families. After several expansions, the refundable tax credit is now the largest federal cash assistance program for low-income families. A...
This testimony was presented before the the House Small Business Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment, and Government Programs. Linda Blumberg addresses Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and HR 3901, a proposal to make private non-group premiums for the high-deductible health plans associated...
Retirement Saving Incentives and Personal Saving
To encourage saving for retirement, private pensions such as employer sponsored 401(k) plans or IRAs receive favorable tax treatment by the federal government. A major goal of such tax provisions is to increase personal saving. A measure of the value of these tax benefits is provided by the...
Exempting Dividends, Interest, and Capital Gains From Taxation
This article uses the TPC tax model to examine the direct effect of exempting all dividends, interest, and capital gains from income taxation.
Tough Choices, Opportunity, or Both?
For the last several years, Congress has been on a spending spree unlike any in the nation’s history — a turnaround of about 7 percent of gross domestic product in going from surplus to deficit. In addition to size, what made this spree unique was that tax cuts, defense increases, large...
Executive Compensation Reform and the Limits of Tax Policy
The American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 includes a major attempt to reform the tax rules for deferred compensation arrangements covering corporate managers. This paper examines the tax policy and corporate-governance policy objectives of the reform effort, explores the shortcomings of the...
Quietly, The Taxes Are Changing
[Marketplace] While everyone is focusing on those things President Bush and Senator John Kerry disagree about, perhaps they should be paying attention to those things on which they do agree. Senior fellow and Tax Policy Center co-director, Len Burman, takes a look at what he calls the "...
Effects of Recent Fiscal Policies on Today's Children and Future Generations
Recent and proposed fiscal policies--the tax cuts, proposals to make them permanent, and the Medicare prescription drug bill--will hurt economic prospects for most of today's children and all future generations. The programs will leave economic growth largely unchanged, but will redistribute...
Taxable Social Security Benefits
Before 1984, Social Security benefits were exempt from income tax. As part of the Greenspan Commission reforms intended to bolster Social Security's finances, up to 50 percent of Social Security benefits became subject to tax in that year, with proceeds from the income tax allocated to the...
How Progressive Is Social Security and Why?
Social Security was designed to redistribute income from those with higher lifetime earnings to those with lower lifetime earnings. The reason is obvious: the system was created to ensure an adequate retirement income for the elderly. Less obvious is how Social Security's many provisions...
State Earned Income Tax Credits
The federal earned income tax credit (EITC) was established in 1975 as part of the individual income tax to offset payroll taxes for low-income working families. After several expansions, the refundable tax credit is now the largest federal cash assistance program for low-income families. A...
Health Savings Accounts and Tax Preferences for High Deductible Policies Purchased in the Non-Group Market
This testimony was presented before the the House Small Business Subcommittee on Workforce, Empowerment, and Government Programs. Linda Blumberg addresses Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) and HR 3901, a proposal to make private non-group premiums for the high-deductible health plans associated...