“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.”
The 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.
Hillary 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.
Hillary 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.
To 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.
