Mankiw on the Congressional Tax Plan

Summary:
In the New York Times, Greg Mankiw applauds the tax reform plan discussed in Congress. He emphasizes four points: The reform would move the US tax system toward international norms, from worldwide to territorial taxation. It would move the system from income towards less distorting consumption taxation, by allowing businesses to deduct investment spending immediately. The reform would change the origin-based into a destination-based system (taxing imports and exempting exports, a.k.a. “border adjustment”), with similarities to a value-added tax, making it harder to game the system. “[T]he immediate impact of the change would be to discourage imports and encourage exports. … the dollar would appreciate … The movement in the exchange rate would offset the initial impact on imports and exports.” The reform would abolish tax deductions for interest payments to bondholders, eliminating incentives for corporate leverage. “A business’s taxes would be based on its cash flow: revenue minus wage payments and investment spending. How this cash flow is then paid out to equity and debt holders would be irrelevant.

Topics:
Dirk Niepelt considers the following as important: Border adjustment, Congress, Corporate taxation, Expensing, leverage, Notes, Tax, Territorial taxation, United States, Worldwide taxation

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