All Tax VOX

The tax reform plan from Marco Rubio and Mike Lee is filled with a lot of interesting and credible ideas, but the specifics would add trillions to the nation's debt over the next decade. 

A public school system funded the same way we pay for the ACA's exchanged-based insurance would drastically reduce direct spending for public schools and the taxes without directly affecting educational resources. But it would make life much more complicated for taxpayers and tax administrators.  

Is 2015 the year of reluctant GOP tax hikes or triumphant GOP tax cuts? It depends. Republican governors are open to new tax revenue—as long as it is never, ever from individual income taxes.

The Obama Administration has created a special ACA enrollment season for this year only, but it's a limited fix to a bigger problem: finding better ways to use tax filing season as an ACA enrollment incentive. 

This is the first filing season when taxpayers must navigate the new provisions of the ACA on their 1040s. And, as we are learning, sorting through all the necessary paperwork is hard to do, even for those of us whose day jobs are in tax policy.

For decades, policymakers have enthusiastically supported special tax breaks for small businesses, including start-ups. But there is a wide gap between the professed support for small businesses and what the tax code does for (and to) start-ups in the real world.

President Obama's FY16 budget proposal would cut federal subsidies for premium seats at college sporting events. Federal subsidies ought to provide national benefits and there’s no evidence that boosting attendance in high-priced court-side or skybox seats does that.

Jeb Bush gave a speech this week that exposed some interesting internal conflicts in the former Florida governor’s campaign platform. On one hand, Bush called for government to help working class families. On the other, he demanded that government stay out of the way and let markets grow the economy.

The latest Census of Governments shows us a lot about just how hard local governments were pounded by the Great Recession. It describes a powerful double-whammy: Local governments not only suffered deep declines in their own tax revenues but they also faced steep cuts in state aid. 

When it comes to capital gains taxes, policymakers and experts disagree on what actually counts as income. The dispute centers on the President’s proposal to tax accrued, but unrealized, capital gains at death. 

Obama's tax cuts primarily benefit low-income single workers and families with children. Households with very high incomes and substantial capital assets would pay more. His plans would have a modest effect on middle class Americans. 

President Obama will propose to strip away the 'loopholes' that permit wealthy individuals to accumulate large amounts in tax-favored retirement plans in his upcoming budget. But big retirement accounts are more a product of Congress' generosity on the matter, not loopholes. 

Washington Nationals pitcher Max Scherzer will avoid state income taxes on most game paychecks – tax savings that could amount to millions of dollars. How much do tax considerations affect where coveted sports free agents like Scherzer decide to play? 

Obama's ideas for educational tax reform are controversial, but they’d do a better job helping households who most need education assistance than the current complex array of programs.

President Obama has proposed important changes for child care costs that could allow families of young children to save thousands. But some families, especially those with just one older child, could wind up paying more. 

President Obama proposed that his administration would make retirement security a priority that would increase the ability of part-time workers to join their employer’s plan and improve tax incentives for businesses. 

President Obama's tax on capital gains at death makes enormous sense. But the problem is with the record-keeping involved. Having to keep track of every asset purchase ever made would be extremely difficult. Fortunately, there is an easy fix. 

President Obama laid out his vision for the tax code. He's using a 'middle-class economics' agenda aimed at raising taxes on capital gains on high-income groups and redistribute the money from rich to working-class households. While, Republicans want to cut tax rates mostly. Will there be a middle ground? 

 President Obama called on Congress last night to address wealth inequality through the tax code. But taxing the rich isn't just an American thing; Russia, Great Britain, and Brazil have  rules or proposals in motion to put the tax code to work agains income inequality. 

The president plans to announce new proposals that would substantially increase taxes for the wealthiest Americans. But the possible elimination of the 'angel of death' tax loophole is a more significant change, taxing the wealthy on inherited capital gains.