I. Introduction -- II. Recent tax reform proposals -- III. Effects on the macroeconomy -- IV. Effects on the allocation of resources -- V. Effects on economic efficiency -- Appendix A. What will a consumption-based tax do to the price level and the value of existing assets? -- Appendix B. Simulation models and the saving response -- Appendix C. Fullerton-Rogers General-equilibrium model.

A groundbreaking reference, this book provides a comprehensive review of tax policy from political, legal, constitutional, administrative, and economic perspectives. A collection of writings from over 45 prominent tax experts, it charts the influence of taxation on economic activity and economic behavior. Featuring over 2400 references, tables, equations, and drawings, the book describes how taxes affect individual and business behavior, shows how taxes operate as work and investment incentives, explains how tax structures impact different income groups, weighs the balanced use of sales, property, and personal income taxes, traces the influence of recent tax changes, and more.

The tax system profoundly affects countless aspects of private behavior. It is a powerful policy influence on the distribution of income and it is the one aspect of government that almost every citizen cannot avoid. With tax reform high on the political agenda, this book brings together studies of leading tax economists and lawyers to assess the various reform proposals and examine the effects of tax reform in several distinct areas. Together, these studies and comments on them present a balanced evaluation of professional opinion on the issues that will be critical in the tax reform debate. The book addresses annual and lifetime distributional effects, saving, investment, transitional problems, simplification, home ownership and housing prices, charitable groups, international taxation, financial intermediaries and insurance, labor supply, and health insurance. In addition to Henry Aaron and William Gale, the contributors include Alan Auerbach, University of California, Berkeley; David Bradford, Princeton University; Charles Clotfelter, Duke University; Eric Engen, Federal Reserve; Don Fullerton, University of Texas; Jon Gruber, Massachusetts Institute of Technology; Patric Hendershott, Ohio State; David Ling, University of Florida; Ronald Perlman, Covington & Burling; Diane Lim Rogers, Congressional Budget Office; John Karl Scholz, University of Wisconsin; Joel Slemrod, University of Michigan; and Robert Triest, University of California, Davis.

First published in 1998, Ruggeri and Vincent analyse different tax reform proposals to create a discourse on dispelling the myths surrounding the flat tax. This book proposes a progressive and comprehensive tax reforms, whilst simplifying the tax system for the vast majority of tax payers. Whilst ensuring the tax system reforms dose not hinder economic growth. This book should be required reading for anyone interested in the problems and promise of tax reform.

Tax Reform in Developing Countries carefully examines the experience of eight developing countries that have undergone -- and in some instances are still undergoing -- significant and comprehensive tax reform. The countries are Bolivia, Colombia, Indonesia, Jamaica, Korea, Mexico, Morocco, and Turkey. It draws on their experiences to find lessons learned and to see how they may be applied to other countries on the road to tax reform. Equal attention is given to the process of tax reform, how it is implemented, and the substance or results of reform efforts. Throughout, the focus is on the practical rather than the theoretical aspects of tax reform.

A spirited and insightful examination of the need for American tax reform—arguably the most overdue political debate facing the nation—from one of the most legendary political thinkers, advisers, and writers of our time. A thoughtful and surprising argument for American tax reform, arguably the most overdue political debate facing the nation, from one of the most respected political and economic thinkers, advisers, and writers of our time. The United States Tax Code has undergone no serious reform since 1986. Since then, loopholes, exemptions, credits, and deductions have distorted its clarity, increased its inequity, and frustrated our ability to govern ourselves. At its core, any tax system is in place to raise the revenue needed to pay the government’s bills. But where that revenue should come from raises crucial questions: Should our tax code be progressive, with the wealthier paying more than the poor, and if so, to what extent? Should we tax income or consumption or both? Of the various ideas proposed by economists and politicians—from tax increases to tax cuts, from a VAT to a Fair Tax—what will work and won’t? By tracing the history of our own tax system and by assessing the way other countries have solved similar problems, Bartlett explores the surprising answers to all of these questions, giving a sense of the tax code’s many benefits—and its inevitable burdens. Tax reform will be a major issue debated in the years ahead. Growing budget deficits and the expiration of various tax cuts loom. Reform, once a philosophical dilemma, is turning into a practical crisis. By framing the various tax philosophies that dominate the debate, Bartlett explores the distributional, technical, and political advantages and costs of the various proposals and ideas that will come to dominate America’s political conversation in the years to come.

The question of whether to tax income from wealth has sparked debate since our country's inception. Does taxing capital income ensure the progressivity of our system or merely discourage saving? Would switching our tax code to one that taxes only consumption be more efficient or only burden middle- and low-income people? And if we were to radically reform the way America taxes its citizens, how could we ensure that vital revenue would not be lost? Some analysts would even argue that, under our present byzantine tax system, we don't really tax capital income at all. In this volume, eminent economists analyze the problems associated with taxing capital income and propose policy solutions, which are then challenged by their peers in informed commentary. It may not settle the debate, but policymakers, scholars, and the public will find a wealth of information and ideas to consider.

The book suggests a novel way how the effects of tax reforms especially in the field of capital income taxation can be measured by means of dynamic computable general equilibrium (CGE) models. Using a model calibrated to the German economy, the author evaluates and quantifies the effects of introducing a Dual Income Tax (DIT) in Germany. This tax reform is a currently hotly debated topic in Germany and has been suggested both by the German Council of Economic Advisors (GCEA) and by Prof. Hans-Werner Sinn. Thus, the book is of great interest not only for the academic but also for the business world and politics.