Molly F. Sherlock
Specialist in Public Finance
Most agree that the U.S. tax system is in need of substantial reforms. The 113th Congress continues to explore ways to make the U.S. tax system simpler, fairer, and more efficient. Identifying and enacting policies that will result in a simpler, fairer, and more efficient tax system remains a challenge.
Both the House- and Senate-passed budget resolutions (H.Con.Res. 25 and S.Con.Res. 8) call for substantial changes in current tax law. The House-passed proposal supports revenue-neutral comprehensive tax reform, while the Senate-passed proposal instructs the Finance Committee to draft revenue legislation that would reduce the deficit by $975 billion over the 2013 to 2023 budget window. The President’s FY2014 budget proposal also contains substantive changes to current revenue policies.
Presently, the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance are actively engaged in tax reform deliberations. The Committee on Ways and Means has released several discussion drafts outlining options for various components of tax reform, and has also formed tax reform working groups to further consider tax reform as it relates to different issue areas. The Committee on Finance has also started releasing tax reform options papers as a process for developing a tax reform proposal.
Legislation has been introduced in the 113th Congress that would fundamentally change the U.S. federal tax system. The Fair Tax Act of 2013 (H.R. 25 / S. 122) would replace most current federal taxes with a 23% national retail sales tax. Other proposals would establish a flat tax, where individuals would be taxed on wages and businesses taxed on cash flows (see the Flat Tax Act (H.R. 1040) and the Simplified, Manageable, and Responsible Tax (SMART) Act (S. 173)). The Tax Code Termination Act (H.R. 352) would effectively repeal the current Internal Revenue Code, requiring Congress to write a new tax code that would achieve certain stated objectives.
The prevailing framework for evaluating tax policy considers equity (or fairness), efficiency, and simplicity. Equity examines the distribution of the tax burden across different groups. This information can then be used to assess the “fairness” of the tax system. A tax system that is economically efficient generally provides neutral treatment, minimizing economic distortions and maximizing output. A tax system that is simple reduces administrative and compliance costs while also promoting transparency.
Oftentimes, there are trade-offs to be considered when evaluating tax policy options. For example, shifting towards a consumption tax might enhance economic efficiency. However, taxing consumption rather than income tends to put an increased tax burden on lower-income taxpayers relative to higher-income taxpayers, reducing the progressivity of the tax system. Policymakers may want to consider the trade-off between equity and efficiency when evaluating tax policy options.
Date of Report: May 6, 2013
Number of Pages: 21
Order Number: R43060
Price: $29.95
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