“Whoever Trump settles on for his Cabinet pick will be tasked with enormous responsibilities and likely face fierce opposition during the Senate confirmation process by progressive senators like Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., particularly if the nominee comes from a Wall Street background, according to Alex Brill of the American Enterprise Institute.”
DetailsThe Ryan-Brady tax plan lowersstatutory tax rates, maintains a progressive income tax, and dramatically reduces the marginal tax rate on new investment. The plan will simplify compliance with the tax code by increasing the number of filers choosing not to itemize deductions. The plan’s individual income tax reforms approach revenue neutrality at the end of the budget window.
DetailsHillary Clinton wants to double the child tax credit for children under 5 and increase the refundability of the credit for more low-income households. Her proposal will further exacerbate the tax disparity between childless households and families with young children. And, by adding substantially to the federal deficit, the policy will shift the cost of raising today’s children onto future generations.
DetailsHillary Clinton proposes doubling the child tax credit for children under 5 (from $1,000 to $2,000) and expanding the refundability of the credit to lower-income families. Her proposal 1) is expensive, 2) increases the deficit, 3) is unfair to childless taxpayers, 4) benefits a narrow group, 5) has an arbitrary cutoff, and 6) is just the beginning.
DetailsTo broaden the tax base, lawmakers will need to do more than close obscure tax loopholes. They will need to limit itemized deductions. These tax breaks costabout $176 billion in 2016 or enough to finance a nearly 13% tax cut for every individual income tax bracket. And they add significant complexity to the tax code.
DetailsAt an event on promoting economic growth amid a populist backlash, Alex Brill discussed the impact of the corporate tax on workers: “Politicians have used the tax policy debate in campaigns for forever, and they generally use tax policy ideas in a very direct way: ‘My tax plan will affect your tax bill this much — directly.’
DetailsOn July 1, the state of Vermont is set to impose a $1,000 per day per product fine on any food manufacturer who fails to disclose on the product label if any ingredients contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The effect of the new law will be to reduce choices for consumers, limit supply, and increase food prices. And these consequences will be felt far beyond the tiny state’s borders.
DetailsIn an event following the release of FDA’s May 2016 “deeming rule,” which applied tobacco regulations to e-cigarettes, Alex Brill examined Congressional aspects of public policy related to the deeming rule and to e-cigarettes more broadly. Specifically, he looked at what Congress intends to do about e-cigarettes, focusing on three questions: First, what are congressional attitudes about the deeming rule and e-cigarette regulation generally? Second, is it a partisan issue? And third, looking beyond the deeming rule, how will Congress affect e-cigarette use more broadly in the future? “I think that the next battle that Congress will look to tackle with respect to e-cig products is the tax question,” said Brill.
DetailsDonald Trump’s proposal to build a wall between the United States and Mexico has been widely criticized. But the Obama administration is building its own wall around the United States. The Obama wall is built of rules that inhibit U.S. firms from pursuing inversions to escape the punishingly high US corporate tax rate. Both walls will harm Americans.
DetailsS ESOPs, which are defined contribution retirement plans that allow employees to become owners, are increasingly popular in the US…. S ESOPs exist across a wide spectrum of industries and include a meaningful number of US employees. As the US seeks to rebound from a period of tepid productivity growth, tools such as S ESOPs can improve worker commitment, reduce worker turnover, and lower production costs.
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