Federal Tax Policy

Feb 8, 2016

Top 400 Taxpayers See Tax Rates Rise, But There’s More to the Story

As Americans were gathering party supplies to greet the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service released their annual report of cumulative tax data reported on the 400 tax r...

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Feb 4, 2016

Chlorine Bleach Plants Needlessly Endanger 63 Million Americans

Chlorine bleach plants across the U.S. put millions of Americans in danger of a chlorine gas release, a substance so toxic it has been used as a chemical weapon. Greenpeace’s new repo...

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Jan 25, 2016

U.S. Industrial Facilities Reported Fewer Toxic Releases in 2014

The Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) data for 2014 is now available. The good news: total toxic releases by reporting facilities decreased by nearly six percent from 2013 levels. Howe...

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Jan 22, 2016

Methane Causes Climate Change. Here's How the President Plans to Cut Emissions by 40-45 Percent.

UPDATE (Jan. 22, 2016): Today, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) released its proposed rule to reduce methane emissions...

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Add this One to the Pile

Oct 2, 2006 by Craig Jennings

...of reports that make the free lunch-"tax cuts pay for themselves" crowd look like the circus sideshow that they are. Last week, CRS released a report* on the revenue effects of the "2001-2004 tax cuts." It found that: Given the positive and negative effects, it is likely that the feedback effect in the very short run would be positive, but at the current time as the stimulus effects have faded and the effect of added debt service has grown, the 2001-2004 tax cuts are probably costing more than their estimated revenue cost. So, there you have it - again: Sorry, kids, no free lunch.

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It's the Deficit, Stupid

Sep 29, 2006 by Matthew Madia

Chris Edwards of the Cato Institute testified at a Senate Finance Hearing on Tuesday. Essentially, Edwards argued that the federal government has a "spending problem." Increased spending, he said, is almost entirely responsible for the last 5 years of high deficits. Therefore, we ought to get to the root of the problem and cut back on spending to get the deficit under contol. This is the same tack that Senate Budget Committee Chairman Judd Gregg (R-NH) has taken while advocating for drastic budget cuts.

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Two Strikes: Grassley Still Out of Luck on the Trifecta

Sep 28, 2006 by Adam Hughes*

Senate Finance chair Charles Grassley (R-IA) is once again using reason to try to wrest the oft-deferred package of tax credit extensions from the smothering grip of the moribund trifecta (which also includes a massive estate tax cut, and a modest minimum wage hike).

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Another Estate Tax Vote Unlikely During This Congress

With Congress now in its final week before adjourning for the midterm elections, the death knell may finally be sounding for the "trifecta" package ( The trifecta passed the House in late July, but it failed in the Senate, falling three votes short of the 60 necessary to end debate, entirely on account of the estate tax provision.

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Red States Do Well Under Bush

Sep 25, 2006 by Matt Lewis

According to a provacative new paper by Peter Francia and Renan Levine, Bush's policies have disproportionately benefited red states over blue states.

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Trifecta's Slow Death?

Sep 22, 2006 by Matt Lewis

For Dana's take on what Sen. Frist's next move on the "trifecta" bill might be, check out his new post on TPM Cafe. Last Friday, the four GOP Senators tapped by Bill Frist to find enough sweeteners to get the Democratic votes needed to pass the three-part package known as the “trifecta” were due to offer Frist a legislative option.

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Joint Economic Committee Decries Income Inequality

Sep 22, 2006 by Craig Jennings

Although today's Joint Economic Committee press release was intended to bemoan the absolutely crushing burden of income taxes paid by the top 50% of income earners which has stymied all attempts to get this economy moving [/sarcasm], it actually underscores a troubling trend in income distribution. According to the new data, the top half of taxpayers ranked by income paid 96.70 percent of the individual income taxes paid in 2004, compared to 86.05 percent in 1949, 89.35 percent in 1959, and 90.27 percent in 1969.

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Evasive Manuevers

Sep 21, 2006 by Matt Lewis

The Washington Post and the New York Times today have high-profile stories on how lawmakers and Administration officials have let corporations find ways around paying federal taxes and fees. Both are worth a look. Washington Post: A Quiet Break for Corporations New York Times: Suits Say U.S. Impeded Audits for Oil Leases

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Giving Credit Where Credit is Due: IRS

Sep 20, 2006 by Adam Hughes*

We've been posting recently about some of the bizarre and downright ridiculous things going on over at the Internal Revenue Service lately concerning enforcement of the country's tax laws (see this recent analysis for more background). While these policy changes certainly deserve criticism, you have to tip your hat when things go right. Within two days last week, the IRS announced the two largest tax settlements in the agencies' history (one individual and one corporate) related to tax evasion.

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Trifecta: On its Death (Tax) Bed?

Sep 20, 2006 by Adam Hughes*

The death of the death of the death tax could be imminent. House Majority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) said yesterday it was "doubtful," that the House would consider a new or conference version of H.R. 5970, the "trifecta" bill, prior to pre-midterm adjournment. The trifecta, weighted down by a $750 billion estate tax cut, passed the House in July, but failed in the Senate by three votes on a procedural motion in early August. Per the Washington Post, "headed nowhere [is] the permanent estate tax repeal that Republicans have tried all year to push across the finish line."

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