tax research topics

How it works

Useful Links

How much will your dissertation cost?

Have an expert academic write your dissertation paper!

Dissertation Services

Get unlimited topic ideas and a dissertation plan for just £45.00

Order topics and plan

Get 1 free topic in your area of study with aim and justification

Yes I want the free topic

50+ Focused Taxation Research Topics For Your Dissertation

Published by Ellie Cross at December 29th, 2022 , Revised On May 2, 2024

A thorough understanding of taxation involves drawing from multiple sources to understand its goals, strategies, techniques, standards, applications, and many types. Tax dissertations require extensive research across a variety of areas and sources to reach a conclusive result. It is important to understand and present tax dissertation themes well since they deal with technical matters.

Choosing the right topic in the area of taxation can assist students in understanding how much insight and knowledge they can contribute and the tools they will need to authenticate their study.

If you are not sure what to write about, here are a few top taxation dissertation topics to inspire you .

The Most Pertinent Taxation Topics & Ideas

The effects of tax evasion and avoidance on and the supporting data
How does budgeting affect the management of tertiary institutions?
How does intellectual capital affect the development and growth of huge companies, using Microsoft and Apple as examples?
The importance and function of audit committees in South Africa and China: similarities and disparities
How taxation can aid in closing the fiscal gap in the UK economy’s budget
A UK study comparing modern taxation and the zakat system
Is it appropriate to hold the UK government accountable for subpar services even after paying taxes?
Taxation’s effects on both large and small businesses
The impact of foreign currencies on the nation’s economy and labour market and their detrimental effects on the country’s tax burden
A paper explaining the importance of accounting in the tax department
To contribute to the crucial growth of the nation, do a thorough study on enhancing tax benefits among American residents
A thorough comparison of current taxes and the Islamic zakat system is presented. Which one is more beneficial and effective for reducing poverty?
According to the most recent academic study on tax law, what essential improvements are needed to implement tax laws in the UK?
A thorough investigation of Australian tax department employees’ active role in assisting residents of all Commonwealth states to pay their taxes on time.
Why establishing a taxation system is essential for a country’s growth
What is the tax system’s greatest benefit to the poor?
Is it legitimate to lower the income tax so that more people begin paying it?
What is the most significant investment made using tax revenue by the government?
Is it feasible for the government to create diverse social welfare policies without having the people pay the appropriate taxes?
How tax avoidance by people leads to an imbalance in the government budget
What should deter people from trying to avoid paying taxes on time?
Workers of the tax department’s role in facilitating tax evasion through corruption
Investigate the changes that should be made to the current taxation system. A case study based on the most recent UK tax studies
Examine the variables that affect the amount of income tax UK people are required to pay
An analysis of the effects of intellectual capital on the expansion and development of large businesses and multinationals. An Apple case study
A comparison of the administration and policy of taxes in industrialised and emerging economies
A detailed examination of the background and purposes of international tax treaties. How successful were they?
An examination of the effects of taxation on small and medium-sized enterprises compared to giant corporations
An examination of the effects of tax avoidance and evasion. An analysis of the worldwide Panama crisis and how tax fraud was carried out through offshore firms
A critical analysis of how the administration of higher institutions is impacted by small business budgeting
Recognising the importance of foreign currency in a nation’s economy. How can foreign exchange and remittances help a nation’s finances?
An exploration of the best ways tax professionals may persuade customers to pay their taxes on time
An investigation of the potential impact of tax and accounting education on the achievement of the nation’s leaders
How the state might expand its revenue base by focusing on new taxing areas. Gaining knowledge of the digital content creation and freelance industries
An evaluation of the negative impacts of income tax reduction. Will it prompt more people to begin paying taxes?
A critical examination of the state’s use of tax revenue for human rights spending. A UK case study
A review of the impact of income tax on new and small enterprises. Weighing the benefits and drawbacks
A comprehensive study of managing costs so that money may flow into the national budget without interruption. A study of Norway as an example
An overview of how effective taxes may contribute to a nation’s development of a welfare state. A study of Denmark as an example
What are the existing problems that prevent the government systems from using the tax money they receive effectively and completely?
What are people’s opinions of those who frequently avoid paying taxes?
Explain the part tax officials play in facilitating tax fraud by accepting small bribes
How do taxes finance the growth and financial assistance of the underprivileged in the UK?
Is it appropriate to criticise the government for not providing adequate services when people and businesses fail to pay their taxes?
A comprehensive comparison of current taxes and the Islamic zakat system is presented. Which one is more beneficial and effective for reducing poverty?
A critical evaluation of the regulatory organisations was conducted to determine the tax percentage on different income groups in the UK.
An investigation into tax evasion: How do wealthy, influential people influence the entire system?
To contribute to the crucial growth of the nation, conduct a thorough investigation of enhancing tax benefits among British nationals.
An assessment of the available research on the most effective ways to manage and maintain an uninterrupted flow of funds for a better economy.
The effect and limitations of bilateral and multilateral tax treaties in addressing double taxation and preventing tax evasion.
Assess solutions: OECD/G20 Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) project and explore the implications for multinational corporations.
The Impact of Tax cuts in Obtaining Social, monetary, and Aesthetic Ends That Benefit the Community.
Exploring the Effect of Section 1031 of the Tax Code During Transactions on Investors and Business People.
Investigating the role of environmental taxes and incentives in addressing global environmental challenges.
Evaluating the impact of increased transparency on multinational enterprises and global efforts to combat tax evasion and illicit financial flows.
Exploring the health and financial effects of a proposed policy to increase the excise tax on cigarettes.

Hire an Expert Writer

Orders completed by our expert writers are

Formally drafted in an academic style
Free Amendments and 100% Plagiarism Free – or your money back!
100% Confidential and Timely Delivery!
Free anti-plagiarism report
Appreciated by thousands of clients. Check client reviews

We hope that you will be able to write a first-class dissertation or thesis on one of the issues identified above at your own pace and submit a solid draft. If you wish to use any of the above taxation dissertation topics directly, you may do so. Many people, however, prefer tailor-made topics that meet their specific needs. If you need help with topics or a taxation dissertation, you can also use our dissertation writing services . Place your order now !

Free Dissertation Topic

Phone Number

Academic Level Select Academic Level Undergraduate Graduate PHD

Academic Subject

Area of Research

Frequently Asked Questions

How to find taxation dissertation topics.

To find taxation dissertation topics:

Study recent tax reforms.
Analyse cross-border tax issues.
Explore digital taxation challenges.
Investigate tax evasion or avoidance.
Examine environmental tax policies.
Select a topic aligned with law, economics, or business interests.

Designing, Not Checking, for Policy Robustness: An Example with Optimal Taxation

The approach used by most economists to check academic research results is flawed for policymaking and evaluation. The authors propose an alternative method for designing economic policy analyses that might be applied to a wide range of economic policies.

31 Aug 2020
Research & Ideas

State and Local Governments Peer Into the Pandemic Abyss

State and local governments that rely heavily on sales tax revenue face an increasing financial burden absent federal aid, says Daniel Green. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

12 May 2020

Elusive Safety: The New Geography of Capital Flows and Risk

Examining motives and incentives behind the growing international flows of US-denominated securities, this study finds that dollar-denominated capital flows are increasingly intermediated by tax haven financial centers and nonbank financial institutions.

01 Apr 2019
What Do You Think?

Does Our Bias Against Federal Deficits Need Rethinking?

SUMMING UP. Readers lined up to comment on James Heskett's question on whether federal deficit spending as supported by Modern Monetary Theory is good or evil. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

20 Mar 2019

In the Shadows? Informal Enterprise in Non-Democracies

With the informal economy representing a third of the GDP in an average Middle East and North African country, why do chronically indebted regimes tolerate such a large and untaxed shadow economy? Among this study’s findings, higher rates of public sector employment correlate with greater permissibility of firm informality.

30 Jan 2019

Understanding Different Approaches to Benefit-Based Taxation

Benefit-based taxation—where taxes align with benefits from state activities—enjoys popular support and an illustrious history, but scholars are confused over how it should work, and confusion breeds neglect. To clear up this confusion and demonstrate its appeal, we provide novel graphical explanations of the main approaches to it and show its general applicability.

02 Jul 2018

Corporate Tax Cuts Don't Increase Middle Class Incomes

New research by Ethan Rouen and colleagues suggests that corporate tax cuts contribute to income inequality. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

13 May 2018

Corporate Tax Cuts Increase Income Inequality

This paper examines corporate tax reform by estimating the causal effect of state corporate tax cuts on top income inequality. Results suggest that, while corporate tax cuts increase investment, the gains from this investment are concentrated on top earners, who may also exploit additional strategies to increase the share of total income that accrues to the top 1 percent.

08 Feb 2018

What’s Missing From the Debate About Trump’s Tax Plan

At the end of the day, tax policy is more about values than dollars. And it's still not too late to have a real discussion over the Trump tax plan, says Matthew Weinzierl. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

24 Oct 2017

Tax Reform is on the Front Burner Again. Here’s Why You Should Care

As debate begins around the Republican tax reform proposal, Mihir Desai and Matt Weinzierl discuss the first significant tax legislation in 30 years. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

08 Aug 2017

The Role of Taxes in the Disconnect Between Corporate Performance and Economic Growth

This paper offers evidence of potential issues with the current United States system of taxation on foreign corporate profits. A reduction in the US tax rate and the move to a territorial tax system from a worldwide system could better align economic growth with growth in corporate profits by encouraging firms to invest domestically and repatriate foreign earnings.

07 Nov 2016

Corporate Tax Strategies Mirror Personal Returns of Top Execs

Top executives who are inclined to reduce personal taxes might also benefit shareholders in their companies, concludes research by Gerardo Pérez Cavazos and Andreya M. Silva. Open for comment; 0 Comments.

18 Apr 2016

Popular Acceptance of Morally Arbitrary Luck and Widespread Support for Classical Benefit-Based Taxation

This paper presents survey evidence that the normative views of most Americans appear to include ambivalence toward the egalitarianism that has been so influential in contemporary political philosophy and implicitly adopted by modern optimal tax theory. Insofar as this finding is valid, optimal tax theorists ought to consider capturing this ambivalence in their work, as well.

20 Nov 2015

Impact Evaluation Methods in Public Economics: A Brief Introduction to Randomized Evaluations and Comparison with Other Methods

Dina Pomeranz examines the use by public agencies of rigorous impact evaluations to test the effectiveness of citizen efforts.

07 May 2014

How Should Wealth Be Redistributed?

SUMMING UP James Heskett's readers weigh in on Thomas Piketty and how wealth disparity is burdening society. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

08 Sep 2009

The Height Tax, and Other New Ways to Think about Taxation

The notion of levying higher taxes on tall people—an idea offered largely tongue in cheek—presents an ideal way to highlight the shortcomings of current tax policy and how to make it better. Harvard Business School professor Matthew C. Weinzierl looks at modern trends in taxation. Key concepts include: Studies show that each inch of height is associated with about a 2 percent higher wage among white males in the United States. If we as a society are uncomfortable taxing height, maybe we should reconsider our comfort level for taxing ability (as currently happens with the progressive income tax). For Weinzierl, the key to explaining the apparent disconnect between theory and intuition starts with the particular goal for tax policy assumed in the standard framework. That goal is to minimize the total sacrifice borne by those who pay taxes. Behind the scenes, important trends are evolving in tax policy. Value-added taxes, for example, are generally seen as efficient by tax economists, but such taxes can bear heavily on the poor if not balanced with other changes to the system. Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

02 Mar 2007

What Is the Government’s Role in US Health Care?

Healthcare will grab ever more headlines in the U.S. in the coming months, says Jim Heskett. Any service that is on track to consume 40 percent of the gross national product of the world's largest economy by the year 2050 will be hard to ignore. But are we addressing healthcare cost issues with the creativity they deserve? What do you think? Closed for comment; 0 Comments.

Tax Research The gold standard of insightful and timely tax intelligence
Fixed Assets Automatically and accurately calculate depreciation
Tax Provision The most powerful ASC 740 engine on the market
Workpapers Automated data prep and spreadsheets tailored for tax
Income Tax Planner Powerful income tax planning and projection tool
Corporate Tax Analyzer Automate complex corporate income tax scenarios
Tax Management Portfolios Over 500 Tax Management Portfolios from the most accomplished minds in tax
Large Corporations Work smarter with tax solutions that help you strategize
Mid-Market Corporations Add more value without adding to your workload
Advisory Firms Access all the tools you need to support your clients
Government Get all you need to maximize efficiency and reduce risk
International The tools you need to accurately and confidently handle cross-border transactions
Getting Started Modernize your tax workflow with integrated tools
About Our Authors See the winners of our coveted tax awards
Press Releases Read our latest news and product updates
Our Approach to AI Discover our formula for powerful AI tools you can trust
Request Pricing
Tax Solutions

Explore Bloomberg Tax Research

May 2, 2023

[Save time and money with our research platform .]

Bloomberg Tax is designed to get you to the right answers faster and more efficiently. Our intuitive tax research platform provides expert insights, practice tools, primary sources, news, and analysis across federal, state, and international jurisdictions.

While not an exhaustive list of product features, this article highlights several of the most valued ones, which are built to help you save time and money, minimize tax compliance mistakes and audit risks, and make well-informed decisions for your business or clients.

Expert insights you can trust

For more than six decades, Bloomberg Tax has established a formidable network of 1,000+ tax experts who track tax developments daily and translate that information into plain language for subscribers. Our experts analyze broad to niche tax topics across state, federal, and international jurisdictions, giving you accurate, up-to-date information needed to strategize and plan for the future.

Tax Management Portfolios

Bloomberg Tax Management Portfolios – one of our most widely used and highly regarded features – are a series of in-depth tax and accounting guides, designed to offer a comprehensive understanding of federal tax; estates, gifts, and trusts (EGT); state tax; payroll; U.S. income tax; international tax; and more.

Popular portfolios include:

Portfolio 519 (Travel and Transportation Expenses).
Portfolio 780 (Net Operating Losses).
Portfolio 531 (Depreciation: MACRS and ACRS).

Authored by leading tax practitioners around the world, Tax Management Portfolios are updated regularly to reflect the most recent tax code, making them an invaluable research resource for in-house tax professionals to write memos and tax positions, instead of outsourcing their research to a law firm. Without the need to outsource, some Bloomberg Tax subscribers report saving upwards of $100,000, allowing customers to invest those funds into other areas of their businesses.

Fast Answers

While ChatGPT and Google can generate quick answers to pressing tax questions, these tools often produce inaccurate responses. Basing tax decisions on this misinformation could have dire consequences – an increased audit risk, penalties and fines, or reputational damage.

However, our Fast Answers provide short, accurate, and easily digestible responses concerning a wide range of tax areas, including tax provision, compliance reporting, business taxation, benefits, and compensation, among other topics. All Fast Answers are written by our team of experts and are updated regularly to ensure that subscribers have the most precise, up-to-the-minute information on key tax developments.

Sample Fast Answer:

OnPoint presentations

Although automated technologies offer workflow efficiency, tax professionals’ job responsibilities keep expanding – from reviewing financial statements and preparing tax returns to meeting with new or existing clients and providing administrative support. With time being a scarce commodity, OnPoints offer ready-made PowerPoint slides on key tax developments, considerations, and implications to present to team members and stakeholders.

Such topics include:

IRS guidance on stock buybacks
Corporate alternative minimum tax
Accessing energy project credits

State and international tracker tools

With our tracking tools, you can receive a summary of daily developments across state and international borders. Filter by jurisdiction, topic, type of tax, and date range and then export your findings to Excel to manipulate the data. If you specialize in international tax, we also offer a BEPS tracker to trace country-by-country developments in response to the OECD’s Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) action plan.

Practice tools to save you time

A range of timesaving tools on Bloomberg Tax Research allows subscribers to aggregate and narrow down essential, reliable tax information with a simple click of a button, instead of manually tracking down the same information from multiple sources. More than 75% of our customers stated that practice tools have provided them with time savings of 33-50%, allowing them to place their energy elsewhere to grow their businesses.

Chart builders

Authored by tax experts, chart builders offer an at-a-glance perspective on key state and international tax topics. Using primary and secondary sources, our analysts cover all 50 state tax jurisdictions, Washington, D.C., New York City, and 223 jurisdictions worldwide, offering insights on VAT, corporate income tax, sales and use tax, pass-through entities, excise tax, credits and incentives, and withholding tax.

Practice guides and checklists

Practice guides and checklists offer time-pressed tax professionals quick, accurate information on a variety of tax areas: pass-through entities, compensation, charitable giving, business transactions, and more.

Each practice guide provides a concise overview of a tax topic, key considerations, applicable code and regulations, key portfolios and other resources, and a downloadable Excel checklist. Each checklist lays out a table of questions to consider when dealing with a particular tax issue to ensure requirements are upheld.

Sample documents

Crafting letters to clients or the IRS requires time, attention, and finesse to ensure communication is accurate and clear. Bloomberg Tax alleviates that pressure by offering sample forms for a variety of use cases, such as client development, engagement, and explanation. Letters can be easily adapted and tailored for a client’s individual needs.

Primary sources

Building a strong tax foundation starts at the source. Bloomberg Tax offers an extensive collection of primary sources, including the Internal Revenue Code dating back to 1931 and a case law citator, BCite, which provides detailed analysis and updated information on tax cases, relevant court opinions, strength of authority, and the judicial history of a case to ensure it remains good law.

News and analysis to keep you in the know

Stay informed with concise coverage of tax news and developments with our flagship Daily Tax Report and our wide offering of specialty tax publications. Tap into our network of seasoned tax and accounting reporters for the latest news, trends, and issues shaping your field.

Daily Tax Report

Daily Tax Report offers comprehensive news coverage and analysis of federal, state, and international tax issues, ranging from M&A and corporate tax income to exempt organizations and tax legislation.

Our team of 200+ tax reporters publish articles in real-time, so that you can stay abreast of new regulatory and policy developments as they happen. To ensure you never miss a beat, you can also customize your news feed by setting up email alerts on specific tax topics or jurisdictions.

Why choose Bloomberg Tax?

Bloomberg Tax is a leading research platform for tax professionals providing expert analysis, timesaving practice tools, primary resources, and comprehensive news coverage. From our Tax Management Portfolios and chart builders to BCite and Daily Tax Report, each product feature can help you stay in compliance, and spend less time on research tasks and more time on tax strategy. Request a demo today .

Recommended for you

Discover the new generation bloomberg tax suite.

Our suite of integrated solutions automates tedious work, minimizes risk, and frees up time to do more strategic work.

This site uses cookies to store information on your computer. Some are essential to make our site work; others help us improve the user experience. By using the site, you consent to the placement of these cookies. Read our privacy policy to learn more.

CAMPUS TO CLIENTS

Practice and policy insights from academic tax research

Practice Management & Professional Standards
IRS Practice & Procedure

Editor: Annette Nellen, Esq., CPA, CGMA

In the continued spirit of bridging the gap between tax academics and tax practitioners, for the third year in a row, this column features examples of published academic tax research (see Meade, “ Campus to Clients: Academic Research for Your Practice Consideration ,” 52 The Tax Adviser 526 (August 2021), and Meade, “ Campus to Clients: Practitioners Can Benefit From Academic Tax Research ,” 51 The Tax Adviser 532 (August 2020)). The papers were selected by the External Relations Committee of the American Taxation Association (ATA) with the aim of sharing research that is relevant and of interest to practitioners. The ATA is the leading organization of tax academics, and the External Relations Committee aims to connect with tax professionals.

The five articles selected for this column highlight the wide breadth of topics and methodologies found in academic tax literature. Topics within academic tax literature that may be of interest to practitioners include tax policy, corporate and individual taxpayer behavior, effects of tax on stakeholders, tax accounting issues, and tax data analysis. Researchers provide valuable guidance on tax policy by providing insight on potential policy changes as well as feedback on existing policy.

Many academic tax papers examine corporate behavior using publicly available data such as annual reports, stock prices, rankings, and other sources of information. Studies of individual taxpayers are also common, with researchers conducting experiments or developing creative uses of public data. Federal, state, and international tax issues are often examined, as well as the impact of nontax developments on tax policy and behavior.

As with most academic research, these five articles were subject to a rigorous development and review process as outlined in the earlier columns. Researchers generally get input from peers on their “working paper” by presenting their thesis, approach, and initial findings at campus forums and conferences such as those sponsored by the American Accounting Association (AAA). Most articles undergo thorough blind peer review. Reviewers often call for some revisions, such as for clarification or deeper analysis, for the paper to be accepted for publication. The academic publishing world is often harsh, as many papers are rejected under these rigorous standards for research approach, content, novelty, and timeliness.

Of the articles summarized here, one was in a tax-specific journal, while the others come from broader accounting journals, including one focused on accounting history.

‘The Effects of Income Tax Timing on Retirement Investment Decisions’

Withdrawals from a tax-deferred (i.e., traditional) individual retirement account (IRA) or 401(k) are taxable, making the account’s after-tax value less than the nominal value appearing on a quarterly or annual account statement. This future tax liability’s salience is weak for most individuals, which may cause them to overestimate their after-tax retirement savings. Roth IRA accounts are not affected in this way because withdrawals from them generally are tax-free.

In their article published in the March 2021 issue of The Accounting Review (Vol. 96, Issue 2), Shane Stinson, Marcus Doxey, and Timothy Rupert hypothesize that individuals’ inclination to overestimate a tax-deferred account’s after-tax value may cause them to believe that it will be easier to meet their future cash flow needs than is the case. Such an individual therefore may see less of a need to generate a higher return than does an individual holding a Roth account with the same after-tax value, so investments held in tax-deferred accounts may be lower-risk, and thus lower-return, than investments held in Roth accounts.

The authors conducted an experiment to test this hypothesis. Participants allocated an account’s balance between two investments, where one of them had lower risk and a lower expected return than the other. Some participants had a tax-deferred account, while others had a Roth account. The two types of accounts had similar after-tax values. After controlling for participants’ risk preferences, the authors found that, compared with Roth account holders, tax-deferred account holders had higher estimates of their future after-tax balances, allocated more of their account to the lower-risk, lower-return investment, and perceived less difficulty in meeting their after-tax goal for retirement savings. These results are consistent with the authors’ hypothesis.

Additional parts of the experiment tested whether various interventions mitigate individuals’ inclination to take on less risk with a tax-deferred account. The authors found that tax-deferred account holders allocated more of their savings to higher-risk, higher-return investments when their retirement savings goal was stated in pretax dollars, when they had to estimate their final tax liability, and when they were given feedback about their progress toward saving for retirement. The authors also found that the effect was stronger when multiple interventions were applied simultaneously. Tax advisers and financial planning professionals are well positioned to provide such interventions, and the results of the authors’ experiment suggest that the interventions will have beneficial effects.

‘The Possible Weakening of Financial Accounting From Tax Reforms’

The objective of financial accounting is to provide information about a firm’s economic performance to shareholders and other external stakeholders. The objective of the federal income tax is to raise revenue and to provide various economic incentives to taxpayers. Because these objectives differ, a firm’s book income, which is determined under financial accounting rules, sometimes is greater than its taxable income, which is determined under tax law. This outcome can seem inappropriate to many taxpayers. Several proposals have been made in recent years to more closely link taxable income to book income, and the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, P.L. 117-169, includes a 15% minimum tax for large corporations that is based on adjusted financial statement income.

In her Presidential Scholar address to the AAA, which was published in the September 2021 issue of The Accounting Review (Vol. 96, Issue 5), Michelle Hanlon discusses several issues that are pertinent to such proposals. She notes that there could be full linkage, where book income is used as taxable income. There instead could be partial linkage, such as the business untaxed reported profits (BURP) adjustment that applied in the latter 1980s. Hanlon notes that the implementation of partial or full linkage is more complicated than many people realize because of such issues as net operating losses and controlled foreign corporations.

Hanlon reviews research on the financial reporting effects of linking book income and taxable income, such as during the BURP adjustment’s brief life and international differences in book-tax linkages. The evidence generally indicates that firms are more likely to alter their financial reporting to attain tax objectives when book-tax linkages are stronger, and this leads to a book income that is less informative for capital market participants. While these research results are not surprising to accountants, they seem to be underappreciated by the economists and lawyers who advise policymakers. Hanlon notes that there is not much research on these financial reporting effects and advocates for more of it.

Hanlon concludes that linking taxable income more closely to book income would be unwise because it likely would impair the quality of financial reporting. The capital market costs of such impaired quality are not easy to discern but are nonetheless real. In addition, increased book-tax linkages could tempt Congress to play a stronger role in financial reporting standard setting because of the tax effects. Whether or not one agrees with Hanlon’s conclusions, her discussion of the pertinent issues does an excellent job of better educating the reader about them.

‘Transparency and Tax Evasion: Evidence From the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA)’

The Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA) was enacted in 2010 (as part of the Hiring Incentives to Restore Employment Act, P.L. 111-147) to limit U.S. individuals’ ability to evade U.S. tax through the use of offshore accounts. The act requires automatic information transfers to the IRS about foreign account and cross-border payments by foreign financial institutions (FFIs). Prior to FATCA, FFIs were subject to self-reporting requirements under the qualified intermediary program established in 2001. The IRS estimated that $458 billion of annual offshore income was unreported in the years leading up to the passage of FATCA (IRS, “ The Tax Gap — Tax Gap Estimates for Tax Years 2008–2010 ”).

In their 2020 article in The Journal of Accounting Research (Vol. 58, Issue 1), Lisa DeSimone, Rebecca Lester, and Kevin Markle examine how U.S. individuals responded to the passage of FATCA. The shift from self-reporting under the prior rules to automatic third-party reporting increased the perceived and actual risk of detection, which should reduce the level of tax evasion. However, the costs of evasion could remain below the tax savings from the use of offshore accounts, resulting in continued evasion through such accounts.

The actual amount of hidden offshore assets held by U.S. investors is unobservable. To measure the effects of FATCA, the study uses “round-tripping” behavior, in which assets hidden in foreign accounts are invested back in the United States. Specifically, foreign portfolio investment by individual investors into the United States from tax havens, relative to other countries, measures the inbound investment part of the “round trip.” The amount of inbound equity investment to the United States from tax havens declined by $7.8 billion to $15.3 billion in the years following FATCA, consistent with U.S. investors’ moving financial assets out of tax havens following the rule change.

To avoid FATCA, U.S. citizens may renounce their citizenship. The authors observed a large increase in expatriations following FATCA. Investments in alternative investments that are not subject to FATCA appear to have increased following FATCA, specifically, European collective investment vehicles, real estate, and art. Taken together, these results show U.S. individuals’ behavior regarding investment location and allocation decisions changed in response to FATCA.

The study highlights an intended consequence of FATCA, specifically, the reduction of the use of offshore accounts in tax havens to avoid U.S. tax. While this is considered progress, the use of offshore accounts for tax evasion remains. As with many tax rules, unintended consequences have also been observed, in that U.S. citizens avoid the FATCA requirements in a variety of ways, including renouncing their citizenship and investing in assets not subject to FATCA. These are important considerations for policymakers moving forward with third-party reporting regimes.

‘SALTy Citizens: Which State and Local Taxes Contribute to State-to-State Migration?’

Although there are many reasons for people to relocate across state lines, it is an open question whether, how much, and which type of taxes affect individuals’ decisions on which state to reside in. In their 2021 article in The Journal of the American Taxation Association (Vol. 43, Issue 1), Amy M. Hageman, Sean W.G. Robb, and Jason M. Schwebke study the impact of taxes on location decisions by specifically investigating which state and local taxes are most associated with state-to-state movement of individuals.

Several studies have considered the relationship between taxes and state migration, with mixed results and limited sample composition. For example, one study (Young and Varner, “Millionaire Migration and State Taxation of Top Incomes: Evidence From a Natural Experiment,” 64 National Tax Journal 255 (2011)) found little evidence that taxes have any effect on the change in migration patterns for millionaires within New Jersey. However, another study (Cebula, “Migration and the Tiebout-Tullock Hypothesis Revisited,” 68 American Journal of Economics and Sociology 541 (2009)) concludes that people tend to be attracted to lower state income and property tax burdens.

The authors examine the tax-effect question by hypothesizing that there will be a greater decrease in population in states that have a higher overall burden of death/gift, sales, and property taxes. They test their hypotheses by using regression models that separately compare the net migration at the state level against each of the tax burdens. They find that states with higher taxes tend to be associated with greater out-migration. They also find, when combining all the tax burdens into one model, that property and some types of sales (selective sales) taxes are the most significant. When examining the economic impact on migration from these two taxes, they find that a one-standard-deviation increase in net migration is associated with a $12.99 and $126.73 per capita decrease in selective and property taxes, respectively, collected.

State and local policymakers would find this paper of interest as they consider the degree and type of taxation levied on residents. It is important to have the revenues to fund services and projects but at the same time recognize that an increase in taxes is associated with a decrease in overall tax participants. This paper provides some quantitative analysis that can help determine the right mix of taxes and services. Further, businesses can use this information when they consider where to locate operations to best attract talent and employees.

‘Six Decades of US Tax Reform: Why Has the Average Couple’s Tax Burden Increased?’

The IRS and many other federal and state offices and agencies collect a lot of data, typically reported as raw data, such as how many returns are filed by individuals within various income ranges. What is not always seen is a lot of analysis of this data in ways that provide insights into historical trends and possible improvements to the laws to which the data relates.

In a 2021 article published in the Accounting Historians Journal (Vol. 48, No. 2), James M. Plečnik and Shan Wang report on their findings from research and tax calculations performed for 1955 through 2018. The researchers reviewed the tax laws applicable to a hypothetical median-income married couple with no dependents and income beyond eligibility for the earned income tax credit. This research involved finding the standard deduction, personal exemption, married-filing-jointly tax rate structure, and any special temporary relief provided to individuals, all for over 60 years. They also researched payroll tax information for the years under review. U.S. Census Bureau data was used to determine the median income for the couple, which ranged from $4,421 in 1955 to $80,663 in 2018.

With this income and payroll tax information (for both employee and employer, after tax), the researchers measured for all years the effective income tax rate (EITR) and the effective tax rate (ETR). The ETR includes both income and payroll taxes borne by the median-income couple. The authors found that the EITRs have decreased but ETRs have increased. They also observe that federal tax collections relative to GDP have been mostly constant over the past decades. They conclude that with payroll taxes included in the ETR analysis, there is a higher overall tax burden for the middle-class demographic studied.

The findings are a good reminder that employees bear federal taxes beyond what is reported on their Form 1040, U.S. Individual Income Tax Return , and how a distorted picture results for taxpayers and policymakers when the somewhat hidden payroll taxes are omitted from reports on tax incidence and ETRs. The article also includes interesting lists of the major individual tax changes enacted during each presidency from that of Dwight Eisenhower to Donald Trump’s.

Practice relevance

The five articles summarized here are a small portion of the tax research produced by tax faculty annually. When practitioners visit campuses or otherwise interact with faculty, we encourage them to ask faculty about their research. Academics will benefit from additional insights into how that research relates to practice, and we believe practitioners will gain insights that can help in their planning and advocacy work.

Contributors

David Hulse, Ph.D., is an emeritus professor at the University of Kentucky in Lexington, Ky.; Kerry Inger, CPA, Ph.D., is an associate professor at Auburn University in Auburn, Ala.; Annette Nellen, Esq., CPA, CGMA, is a professor in the Department of Accounting and Finance at San José State University in San José, Calif., and is a past chair of the AICPA Tax Executive Committee; and Mitchell Oler, CPA, Ph.D., is a department chair and associate professor at the University of Wyoming in Laramie, Wyo. For more information about this column, contact [email protected] .

A trust is not always a trust for federal income tax purposes

Advances between affiliated entities: an uphill but winnable battle for loan characterization, foreign partnership reporting requirements, sec. 163(j) planning considerations, bitcoin etfs: the known and unknown.

TAX PRACTICE MANAGEMENT

To get through the rigors of tax season, CPAs depend on their tax preparation software. Here's how they rate the leading professional products.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS & PENSIONS

The 2022 act affected a wide array of retirement fund and pension plan provisions. This article highlights many of the most noteworthy ones, along with relevant IRS guidance and congressional plans for technical corrections.

Research Overview

Specialized tax research platforms & resources, learning tax research, federal tax statutes, federal legislative history, federal tax regulations, other irs guidance, u.s. tax court, u.s. department of justice -- tax division, treatises, books, and reporters, databases for finding tax-related scholarship (and other types of articles), specific tax journals, tax policy think tanks, online resources, other research guides, contact us, getting started.

This guide is designed to help you find laws and information on tax law issues. Although it focuses on U.S. federal tax law, it does include some information on state and local tax matters as well as some non -U.S. tax information.

The purpose of this guide is to introduce you to a number of useful tax law resources and get you started in the right direction. Legal research requires analysis and synthesis of information, and no one resource will likely provide complete information or data on any given topic.

For many of these databases, you will need to use your Harvard Key to authenticate yourself as a Harvard or HLS-affiliate. For others, you may need to register and create an account to gain access ( e.g. , Lexis, Westlaw, and Bloomberg Law). If you have any trouble accessing a database, please contact the library.

In addition, you should consider looking at the following tax-centric research platforms/resources:

Checkpoint (Thomson Reuters) Tax topics include federal, state, international, pension & benefits, estate planning, payroll, and more. Includes the US Tax Reporter (also available on Westlaw). NOTE: HLS-Affiliates (students, faculty & staff) can use the 1st link in the HOLLIS record for general access to Checkpoint (after providing their HLSMe credentials). If STUDENTS would like to create a personal account (to save searches, create alerts, etc.), they can do so by clicking on the 2nd link in the HOLLIS record. If FACULTY or STAFF would like to create a personal account, they should contact Lisa Lilliott Rydin at [email protected].
Cheetah (Wolters Kluwer) Cheetah for Tax Law combines authoritative content, expert analysis, practice tools, and current awareness for legal tax professionals to gain insights on today’s most challenging tax matters. (Formerly known as Intelliconnect.) Includes the Standard Federal Tax Reporter Available online using the "View Online" link in the HOLLIS record above.
TaxNotes - Federal Available online using the "View Online" link in the HOLLIS record above. NOTE: You must first create an account using an HLS-networked computer. This can be done on-campus or remotely by using a VPN connection.
Tax Notes - State Available online using the "View Online" link in the HOLLIS record above. NOTE: You must first create an account using an HLS-networked computer. This can be done on-campus or remotely by using a VPN connection.
Tax Notes - International Available online using the "View Online" link in the HOLLIS record above. NOTE: You must first create an account using an HLS-networked computer. This can be done on-campus or remotely by using a VPN connection.
IBFD - Tax Research Platform Global tax database, including country-specific tax guides, primary sources of law, tax treaties, global tax topics, books, journal articles and papers. Available online using the "View Online" link in the HOLLIS record above.
Getting the Deal Through (Lexology) Not exactly a "research platform" but the Getting the Deal Through (GTDT) module of Lexology lets you quickly compare laws across different countries and includes such Topics as "State and Local Taxes," "Tax Controversy" and "Tax on Inbound Investment."
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) -- Tax Tax information, data, and other information regarding OECD member countries.
European Commission -- Taxation and Customs Union Information on EU tax policies.

Below are some books that can help you better understand how Tax Law resources are organized and where you can find them.

Federal Tax Research, by William A. Raabe KF241.T38 W47 2006x (Reference)
Federal Tax Research: Guide to Materials and Techniques, by Gail Levin Richmond & Kevin M. Yamamoto KF241 .T38 R53 2018 (Reference)
Federal Tax Research, by Joni Larson & Dan Sheaffer KF241 .T38 L37 2011 (Reference)

Primary Sources/Federal Government Resources

U.S. Code (official U.S. federal government site) See "Title 26" for the Internal Revenue Code (a/k/a "The Code").
U.S. Code (Legal Information Institute, at Cornell University) An alternative site for the U.S. Code (again, Title 26).

In addition to standard legislative history resources (e.g., ProQuest Congressional's Legislative Insight for federal legislative history), you should check out:

Taxation & Economic Reform in America, Parts I & II (HeinOnline) This historical archive contains thousands of volumes and millions of pages of legislative history materials and other documents. It includes the complete Carlton Fox Collection which contains nearly 42 years of historical legislation related to the internal revenue laws from 1909-1950, as well as other legislative histories related to taxation, economic reform, and stimulus plans.
The Joint Committee on Taxation's "Blue Book" Not exactly "legislative history".... At the end of each Congress, the Joint Committee Staff, in consultation with the staffs of the House Committee on Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance, prepare explanations of the enacted tax legislation. The explanation follows the chronological order of the tax legislation as signed into law. For each provision, the document includes a description of present law, explanation of the provision, and effective date. Present law describes the law in effect immediately prior to enactment. It does not reflect changes to the law made by the provision or subsequent to the enactment of the provision. For many provisions, the reasons for change are also included.
Old Editions of the Standard Federal Tax Reporter (HeinOnline) PDFs of the superseded, loose-leaf volumes (1917-1985).
Code of Federal Regulations (official U.S. federal government site) Final IRS regulations can be found in Title 26 of the CFR. This compilation of regulations is updated annually, on a staggered basis.
e-CFR An alternative site for final federal regulations (this compilation, while not "official" is more user-friendly and updated faster). Tax regulations still under "Title 26."

The Federal Register is where all federal agency rules and regulations are initially published (when first proposed -- perhaps re-proposed -- and later finalized). Agencies are required to include summaries of proposed regulations and the public comments received thereon, as well as an agency's reaction to the public comments when finalizing a regulation. This is typically done in the preamble to a finalized or re-proposed regulation.

Federal Register The official government source for the Federal Register.
FederalRegister.gov The Office of the Federal Register (OFR) of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA), and the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) jointly administer the FederalRegister.gov website. This website was developed to make it easier for citizens and communities to understand the regulatory process and to participate in Government decision-making.
Internal Revenue Bulletins The Internal Revenue Bulletin (IRB) is the official publication for announcing Revenue Rulings, Revenue Procedures, Notices & Announcement. These are directed to all taxpayers and may be relied upon. The IRB is published weekly and through 2008 was consolidated into semi-annual Cumulative Bulletins (CB).

NOTE: IRS guidance/rulings requested by individual taxpayers ( e.g. , Private Letter Rulings, Technical Advice Memoranda, and Chief Counsel Advice) may not be relied upon by others and are not published in the IRB.

Nevertheless, they may provide insight regarding the IRS's views on various matters. They may be obtained by the public via FOIA requests and can often be found on the IRS.gov (see the IRS's FOIA Library ) or by using commercial legal research platforms.

The IRS website is not the easiest site to navigate but it does contain a lot of useful information. For example:

Understanding IRS Guidance -- A Brief Primer Explains the difference between Regulations, Revenue Rulings, Revenue Procedures, Private Letter Rulings, Technical Advice Memoranda, Notices, and Announcements.
Forms, Instructions, and Publications IRS Publications (on a variety of tax topics) and the Instructions to IRS Forms can often help you understand the IRS's view of tax laws. Keep in mind that these are NOT primary sources of law; however, they can be helpful.
Tax Code, Regulations, and Official Guidance NOTE: It appears this information is no longer being updated by the IRS; however, you may be able to find useful historical information.
Basic Tools for Tax Professionals A collection of IRS links likely to be of use to a tax professional, including a link to the Internal Revenue Manual.
Internal Revenue Manual How the IRS is organized and how it operates. For example, procedures for examining returns, conducting audits, "Offers in Compromise," technical guidelines, etc.
Tax Statistics Here you will find a wide range of tables, articles, and data that describe and measure elements of the U.S. tax system.
Tax Topics Source for general individual and business tax information.
FAQs Frequently Asked Questions (and their answers).
U.S. Tax Court Website The official website of the U.S. Tax Court, containing information about the court and its cases.
US Dept. of Justice -- Tax Division Website The Tax Division's mission is to enforce the nation's tax laws fully, fairly, and consistently, through both criminal and civil litigation, in order to promote voluntary compliance with the tax laws, maintain public confidence in the integrity of the tax system, and promote the sound development of the law.

Secondary Sources

Look under "Secondary Sources" (or "Secondary Materials") in the Tax Practice Center/Area of a legal research platform to find treatises and other materials about tax-related topics. Below are some specific titles:

Mertens Law of Federal Income Taxation Available online via Westlaw using the link above.
Bittker, McMahon & Zelenak: Federal Income Taxation of Individuals KF6369 .B5722 Also available online via Westlaw using the link in the HOLLIS record above.
Bittker & Eustice's Federal Income Taxation of Corporations and Shareholders KF6464 .B53x (Available in the Reading Room Stacks and on Reserve at the Circulation Desk) Also available online via Westlaw and Checkpoint using the "View Online" link in the HOLLIS record above.
Hill and Mancino: Taxation of Exempt Organizations Available online via Checkpoint.
Saltzman & Book: IRS Practice & Procedure KF6300 .S262x Also available online via Westlaw and Checkpoint.
Tax Fraud and Evasion: Offenses, Trials, Civil Penalties (Vol. 1) Available online via Checkpoint.
Tax Fraud and Evasion: Money Laundering, Asset Forfeiture, and Related Topics (Vol. 2) Available online via Checkpoint.
Standard Federal Tax Reporter (Cheetah) A Code section-arranged reporter covering Federal income tax law that allows you to navigate between its component parts. The full text of an IRC section, with brief legislative history notes, is followed by the relevant committee reports in full text, final, temporary and proposed regulations, editorially prepared explanations, and annotations. Caution lines and notes are used to alert you to special circumstances concerning a Code section, regulation or annotation. Also included are practice aids, tax rates and other tables, a tax calendar and separate tax planning sections for individuals and businesses, as well as full-text IRS documents (regulations, revenue rulings and procedures), case annotations and other source documents for the current year.
U.S. Tax Reporter (Checkpoint) On Checkpoint's Home Page, look for "USTR Code Section" (under "My Quick Links"). Another Code section-arranged reporter that provides a comprehensive, up-to-date source of federal tax law, including the Internal Revenue Code, regulations, committee reports, cases, rulings, explanations, and annotations of cases and rulings. Also available online via Westlaw.
Understanding Federal Income Taxation, by J. Martin Burke & Michael K. Friel KF6369.85 .B87 2019 (Available in the Reading Room Stacks and the Study Guide Collection @ the Circulation Desk)
Chirelstein's Federal Income Taxation: A Law Student's Guide to the Leading Cases and Concepts KF6369 .C43 2018 (Reserve)

In addition to searching for tax-related law reviews and journals using Westlaw , Lexis Advance , or Bloomberg Law you can try these alternatives:

HeinOnline's Law Journal Library Browse by Subject and select "Taxation" to see all the tax-related journals you can search.
Business Source Complete A database of citations to summaries and full text articles from academic journals, magazines, and trade publications.
ProQuest's Accounting, Tax & Banking Collection This database brings together highly ranked global and scholarly journals with other key resources for locating quick and precise results covering current news and topics, as well as the trends and history influencing important financial issues of the day.
SSRN (Social Science Research Network) SSRN is a worldwide collaborative of over 352,400 authors and more than 2.2 million users that is devoted to the rapid worldwide dissemination of research. It provides access to new scholarship including working papers.
NBER Working Papers The National Bureau of Economic Research is a private, nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization based in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Journal of Taxation HJ 2360 .J6 Available online via Westlaw and Checkpoint.
Tax Law Review K24 .A917 Available online via Westlaw & Lexis Advance.
The Tax Lawyer (ABA Publication) Available online via Westlaw & Lexis Advance.
Corporate Taxation Available online via Checkpoint.
Taxation of Exempts Available online via Checkpoint.

Current Awareness

Daily Tax Report Available online via Bloomberg Law using the "View Online" link in the HOLLIS record above.
Tax Notes Available online using the "View Online" link in the HOLLIS record above. NOTE: You must first create an account using an HLS-networked computer. This can be done on-campus or remotely by using a VPN connection.
Law360 - Tax Requires HLSMe Authenticiation.
IRS's e-News for Tax Professionals Information on how to subscribe to get the IRS's latest news.
Politico's Morning Tax Newsletter Subscribe to a daily newsletter.
International Tax News PWC's International Tax News provides a succinct monthly analysis of select legislative changes, case law and treaty news from around the globe.
American Tax Policy Institute (ATPI) ATPI supports nonpartisan scholarly research, analysis and discussion of U.S. federal, state and local, and international tax policy issues.
Tax Foundation The Tax Foundation is the nation’s leading independent tax policy nonprofit. Since 1937, our principled research, insightful analysis, and engaged experts have informed smarter tax policy at the federal, state, and global levels. For over 80 years, our goal has remained the same: to improve lives through tax policies that lead to greater economic growth and opportunity.
Tax Policy Center (TPC) The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center aims to provide independent analyses of current and longer-term tax issues and to communicate its analyses to the public and to policymakers in a timely and accessible manner. The Center combines top national experts in tax, expenditure, budget policy, and microsimulation modeling to concentrate on overarching areas of tax policy that are critical to future debate.
TaxProf Blog
Tax Appellate Blog (Miller & Chevalier) The Tax Appellate Blog is intended to be a resource for information on important tax cases under consideration in the appellate courts. It will feature insightful commentary on the issues and provide a dedicated site for following the progress of these cases.
Procedurally Taxing Procedurally Taxing considers developments in issues relating to tax procedure and tax administration.
Tax Controversy Watch (Blank Rome LLP) Blank Rome’s Tax Controversy Watch blog is focused on addressing and providing a comprehensive review of the latest developments in the tax controversy field.
TaxVox (Tax Policy Center)

State Tax Resources

Individual state tax agencies can provide a lot of helpful state tax information. The Federation of Tax Administrators provides a list of links to the websites for state tax agencies.

You can also find a number of state-specific tax resources if you look for state law content on Lexis Advance or Westlaw.

See below for more useful links:

All States Tax Guide (RIA) Available via Westlaw using the link above.
Bender's State Taxation: Principles and Practice Available online via Lexis Advance using the link above.
Hellerstein & Hellerstein: State Taxation (WG&L) Available online via Westlaw and Checkpoint using the link above.
Tax Foundations's Center for State Tax Policy The Tax Foundation’s Center for State Tax Policy produces and markets timely and high-quality data, research, and analysis on state fiscal issues that influence the debate toward economically principled tax policies.
NYU Conference on State and Local Taxation Each December the biggest names in state and local taxation gather in New York City and offer presentations on cutting-edge issues to their fellow practitioners at the New York University Institute on State & Local Taxation. The speakers then develop their presentations into law review-quality articles, published by Matthew Bender. Though scholarly, the articles are also very practical, laden with examples, tax-planning tips, and commentary.
Bloomberg Law's Tax Practice Center Select the "State" tab at the top for a collection of state tax resources. In particular, the "State Tax Portfolios" and various "Chart Builders."
Checkpoint (Thomson Reuters) In addition to state tax law resources, see the "Create-a-Chart" Tool.

Other Resources

Below are some other Research Guides you may find useful, depending on your area of research:

Federal Tax Research (NYU Law Library) A ton of resources across a broad range of tax-related topics. See tabs for "Statistics," "Foreign & International Tax," "Dictionaries, Directories, & CRS Reports," and more.
Foreign and International Tax Law Research (NYU Law Library)
International and Foreign Tax Law Research Guide (Georgetown Law Library)
History of the U.S. Income Tax (Library of Congress)

NOTE: When using a research guide prepared by a different library, the links may not work for you. However, if you find a title of interest, you may be able to locate it in our collection by using HOLLIS (Harvard's Library Catalog). If not, we may be able to obtain the resource through BorrowDirect or Interlibrary Loan .

Getting Help

Ask Us! Submit a question or search our knowledge base.

Chat with us! Chat with a librarian (HLS only)

Email: [email protected]

Contact Historical & Special Collections at [email protected]

Meet with Us Schedule an online consult with a Librarian

Hours Library Hours

Classes View Training Calendar or Request an Insta-Class

Text Ask a Librarian, 617-702-2728

Call Reference & Research Services, 617-495-4516

Last Updated: Apr 12, 2024 4:50 PM
URL: https://guides.library.harvard.edu/tax

Harvard University Digital Accessibility Policy

Business development

Billing management software
Court management software
Legal calendaring solutions
Practice management & growth
Project & knowledge management
Workflow automation software

Corporate & business organization

Business practice & procedure

Legal forms

Legal form-building software

Legal data & document management

Data management
Data-driven insights
Document management
Document storage & retrieval

Drafting software, service & guidance

Contract services
Drafting software
Electronic evidence

Financial management

Outside counsel spend

Law firm marketing

Attracting & retaining clients
Custom legal marketing services

Legal research & guidance

Anywhere access to reference books
Due diligence
Legal research technology

Trial readiness, process & case guidance

Case management software
Matter management

Recommended Products

Conduct legal research efficiently and confidently using trusted content, proprietary editorial enhancements, and advanced technology.

Accelerate how you find answers with powerful generative AI capabilities and the expertise of 650+ attorney editors. With Practical Law, access thousands of expertly maintained how-to guides, templates, checklists, and more across all major practice areas.

A business management tool for legal professionals that automates workflow. Simplify project management, increase profits, and improve client satisfaction.

All products

Tax & Accounting

Audit & accounting
Accounting & financial management
Audit workflow
Engagement compilation & review
Guidance & standards
Internal audit & controls
Quality control
Data & document management
Certificate management
Data management & mining
Document storage & organization
Estate planning
Estate planning & taxation
Wealth management
Financial planning & analysis
Financial reporting
Payroll, compensation, pension & benefits
Payroll & workforce management services
Healthcare plans
Billing management
Client management
Cost management
Practice management
Workflow management
Professional development & education
Product training & education
Professional development
Tax planning & preparation
Financial close
Income tax compliance
Tax automation
Tax compliance
Tax planning
Tax preparation
Sales & use tax
Transfer pricing
Fixed asset depreciation
Tax research & guidance

Federal tax

State & local tax

International tax

Tax laws & regulations

Partnership taxation

Research powered by ai, specialized industry taxation.

Credits & incentives

Uncertain tax positions

Unleash the power of generative AI through an accounting and tax research tool. Find answers faster with dialogue-based research and quick, on-point search results.

Provides a full line of federal, state, and local programs. Save time with tax planning, preparation, and compliance.

Automate work paper preparation and eliminate data entry

Trade & Supply

Customs & duties management
Customs law compliance & administration
Global trade compliance & management
Global export compliance & management
Global trade analysis
Denied party screening
Product & service classification
Harmonized Tariff System classification
Supply chain & procurement technology
Foreign-trade zone (FTZ) management
Supply chain compliance

Software that keeps supply chain data in one central location. Optimize operations, connect with external partners, create reports and keep inventory accurate.

Automate sales and use tax, GST, and VAT compliance. Consolidate multiple country-specific spreadsheets into a single, customizable solution and improve tax filing and return accuracy.

Risk & Fraud

Risk & compliance management.

Regulatory compliance management

Fraud prevention, detection & investigations

Fraud prevention technology

Risk management & investigations

Investigation technology
Document retrieval & due diligence services

Search volumes of data with intuitive navigation and simple filtering parameters. Prevent, detect, and investigate crime.

Identify patterns of potentially fraudulent behavior with actionable analytics and protect resources and program integrity.

Analyze data to detect, prevent, and mitigate fraud. Focus investigation resources on the highest risks and protect programs by reducing improper payments.

News & Media

Who we serve.

Broadcasters
Governments
Marketers & Advertisers
Professionals
Sports Media
Corporate Communications
Health & Pharma
Machine Learning & AI

Content Types

All Content Types
Human Interest
Business & Finance
Entertainment & Lifestyle
Reuters Community
Reuters Plus - Content Studio
Advertising Solutions
Sponsorship
Verification Services
Action Images
Reuters Connect
World News Express
Reuters Pictures Platform
API & Feeds
Reuters.com Platform

Media Solutions

User Generated Content
Reuters Ready
Ready-to-Publish
Case studies
Reuters Partners
Standards & values
Leadership team
Reuters Best
Webinars & online events

Around the globe, with unmatched speed and scale, Reuters Connect gives you the power to serve your audiences in a whole new way.

Reuters Plus, the commercial content studio at the heart of Reuters, builds campaign content that helps you to connect with your audiences in meaningful and hyper-targeted ways.

Reuters.com provides readers with a rich, immersive multimedia experience when accessing the latest fast-moving global news and in-depth reporting.

Reuters Media Center
Jurisdiction
Practice area
View all legal
Organization
View all tax

APIs by industry

Risk & Fraud APIs
Tax & Accounting APIs
Trade & Supply APIs

Use case library

Legal API use cases
Risk & Fraud API use cases
Tax & Accounting API use cases
Trade & Supply API use cases

Related sites

United states support.

Account help & support
Communities
Product help & support
Product training

International support

Legal UK, Ireland & Europe support

New releases

Westlaw Precision
1040 Quickfinder Handbook

Join a TR community

ONESOURCE community login
Checkpoint community login
CS community login
TR Community

Free trials & demos

Westlaw Edge
Practical Law

Checkpoint Edge

Onvio Firm Management
Proview eReader

Tax and accounting

Tax research and guidance

Research and guidance solutions that provide fast, accurate, and trusted answers for tax and accounting professionals.

The tax intelligence, technology, and expertise you need

Find the right answers, faster

The Thomson Reuters family of tax guidance and tax research solutions help you work quickly, reach globally, and stay on top of changing trends:

Regulatory guidance across all 51 U.S. districts, Puerto Rico, and Canada
Integrated solutions from the Checkpoint and ONESOURCE® product suites
Human-centered research driven by powerful machine learning

Save your tax department hours with secure, accurate solutions for U.S. federal and state tax research and corporate tax e-filing.

ONESOURCE Tax Information Reporting

Meet federal and state regulations with e-filing for all U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and Canada. Track withholdings, B-notices, penalty notices, W-8 and W-9 forms, TIN data, and penalty abatements with a tax information reporting software.

State and local tax

Simplify compliance research for multi-tier business entities and save valuable time with Thomson Reuters tax solutions.

Checkpoint State Clear Comply

An innovative tax compliance research tool that simplifies research for your multi-tier business entities. Create comprehensive reports on direct state filing obligations for each entity.

Solutions for corporate tax planning to achieve global compliance: stay up to date on tax deadlines per country, cross-border transactions, international tax filing laws, and more.

ONESOURCE International Tax Calculator

Have complete confidence in every decision with material tax effects with the international tax calculator. Ensure accurate and analyze what-if scenarios under the complexities of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act’s.

Tax laws and regulations

Everything you need to complete your global tax requirements quickly, easily, and with greater confidence.

Orbitax Change Reports

Adapt to a changing world by tracking changes to international tax laws through our comprehensive software. Receive curated reports outlining tax law changes and impacts, then share these insights with key shareholders and contacts.

Schedules K-1 and their supplemental work papers can be complex, but Thomson Reuters K-1 Analyzer aggregates the information for easy reporting of income, losses, and deductions by business partnerships, LLCs, and S corporations.

K-1 Analyzer

Check out this cutting-edge software that allows you to quickly extract and aggregate complex non-standard K-1 information. Eliminate manual effort, so you can focus on reviewing and analyzing insights.

Tax research tools powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning to get targeted search results in less time.

Thomson Reuters has partnered with Ledgible to provide your firm with cryptocurrency tax reporting software that streamlines the compliance workflow process.

Ledgible Crypto Tax Pro

Streamline workflow and compliance with this cryptocurrency tax reporting software, as well as calculate taxes, trace transactions, and automate reporting.

Credits and incentives

Discover research and guidance solutions for credits and incentives from Thomson Reuters, trusted by tax and accounting professionals worldwide.

Credits and Incentives Pinpointer

Help your clients take advantage of tax credits and incentives. Search statutory and discretionary incentives by jurisdiction, credit, or industry.

Access the tools necessary to analyze and report uncertain tax positions and shorten the time during financial close.

ONESOURCE Uncertain Tax Positions module

Analyze and report tax treatment of your company’s uncertain tax positions (UTPs). Keep an inventory of UTPs under ASC 740 and IAS 37 and report on them with a full audit trail. Save time with an UTP reporting tool.

Discover more about our tax and accounting solutions

Questions about our products and services we’re here to support you. .

Contact our team to learn more about our tax and accounting solutions.

Already a customer?

The Reporter

A Summary of Recent Corporate Tax Research

Taxes are thought to influence corporate decisions in many ways. For that reason, in the past decade a number of changes (or proposed changes) to the U.S. tax code have been made in an attempt to affect corporate behavior. For example, U.S. and European authorities have raised the possibility of eliminating or reducing the ability of companies to deduct interest payments from taxable income, because the tax-favored status of debt has reduced tax revenue collection and allegedly encouraged a "debt bias" of corporations. It is believed that by using too much debt financing, firms may have exacerbated economic downturns. Also, during the last two recessions, in an attempt to stimulate the corporate sector, the U.S. government has temporarily granted companies the ability to carry current-year losses back five years, in order to receive a refund on taxes paid during the past five years. Further, equity tax rates have been decreased for retail investors in an attempt to reduce the corporate cost of capital, and these changes are thought to have increased dividend payout. And, there have been proposals to disallow multinational companies from avoiding income taxes on profits earned overseas by their reinvesting those profits overseas. In this report, I summarize academic research on these and related issues.

In 1958 Modigliani and Miller (M&M) laid the groundwork for modern corporate finance research by demonstrating that when capital and informational markets are perfect, firm value is not affected by financial decisions. Five years later they showed that the existence of taxation can create an environment in which financial decisions affect firm value. In particular, M&M demonstrated that when corporate income is taxed and debt interest is a deductible expense, firm value can be increased by using debt financing rather than funding entirely from equity.

Several branches of research emanated from these basic insights. The first addresses whether the tax environment leads to firm-specific optimal capital structures and value enhancement. If there are costs to using too much debt (for example, expected financial distress costs or personal taxes on interest income), then firms with the greatest benefit to shielding taxes (for example, firms facing higher income tax rates) should be the ones with the greatest incentives to use debt financing. Much of my tax research focuses on how to measure these tax incentives in the context of a dynamic tax code.

One important feature of the tax code is that a firm can "carry back" current losses (by refiling past tax returns) to receive a tax refund for taxes paid in recent years. Alternatively, if carrying back losses is not attractive, then firms can carry forward losses to offset taxable income in future years. Therefore, because the dynamic tax code allows firms to move income through time, it is necessary to forecast future taxable income to estimate current-period tax rates and tax incentives.

Capital Structure Choices and Simulating Corporate Marginal Income Tax Rates

In my early work, I simulated dynamic corporate marginal income tax rates that could explain the probability that a firm will be nontaxable and that allow it to carry losses forward and backward. I then used these simulated tax rates to document that firms respond to tax incentives when they make incremental financing choices, 1 and when they choose the level of debt and the level of leasing. 2 These corporate tax incentives hold up even in the presence of high personal tax rates on interest income. 3

Most tax and capital structure research, including the work just mentioned, uses data drawn from financial statements, not data from actual tax returns. Given that financial statements consolidate worldwide income statements and balance sheets for multinational firms, but that tax rules and tax incentives vary by country, one might wonder how closely financial-statement-based research mirrors tax return data. 4 In recent work, Lillian Mills and I access confidential tax returns to explore how closely tax rates estimated from financial statement data parallel those based on tax return data. 5 Fortunately, we find that simulated tax rates based on financial statement data are very highly correlated with tax variables based on tax return data.

Capital Structure - Debt Bias

Documenting that tax rates are correlated with corporate capital structure choices suggests that firms may increase value by choosing debt optimally. However, some argue that an increased use of debt in response to tax incentives leads to negative outcomes. After all, the extent to which firms are able to increase value occurs directly because deducting interest expenses deprives the government of tax revenues. More than just reducing tax revenues, a "debt bias" -- using extra debt in response to tax incentives -- could result in too much debt in the system, increasing the probability that firms will become financially distressed, and thereby exacerbating or perhaps even causing economic downturns. Critics of debt bias argue that the ability to deduct interest should be eliminated or at least reduced. For this argument to have its greatest force, it should be the case that 1) tax incentives lead to a large increase in the use of debt, and that 2) the "extra" debt that firms use in response to tax incentives should lead to a material increase in the probability of experiencing financial distress.

Regarding whether taxes have a first-order effect on the use of debt, I have documented that a tax rate that is 10 percentage points higher (for example, 34 percent instead of the mean 24 percent) leads to debt usage that is 0.7 percent higher. Thus, while taxes do affect capital structure, the effect is moderate, providing only partial evidence of the first debt bias consideration. Regarding whether the extra debt usage increases the odds of encountering distress, two co-authors and I search for these effects when one might expect the negative effects of excess leverage to be at their worst: during the severe economic contractions during the Great Depression and during the years 2008-9. 6 In the first stage of our analysis, we show that firms did in fact use more debt because of tax incentives during the Depression. However, we do not find any evidence that this extra debt increased the probability of encountering distress. Similarly, we do not find any evidence that debt bias led to negative outcomes during the recent recession. It is important to note that our failure to find negative effects of debt bias could be attributable to noise in the data (especially during the Depression era) and to our focus on nonfinancial firms. Clearly, there needs to be more research on this important issue in general, and with respect to financial firms in particular.

Capital Structure - Tax Benefit Functions

One way to measure how much interest tax savings contribute to firm value involves estimating marginal tax benefit functions -- that is, measuring the marginal tax benefit of each incremental dollar of tax deduction. By adding up the value created by each incremental dollar of interest deduction, one can estimate the contribution to firm value associated with the tax savings that flow from a given level of interest deductions. Two co-authors and I follow this approach and estimate that the equilibrium, gross tax benefit of interest deductions (ignoring all costs) equals about 10.5 percent of value across all firms, and about twice that much for the top decile of companies. 7

Analogous to using supply shifts to identify demand curves, we use exogenous variation in benefit functions to deduce the cost-of-debt function that justifies the capital structure choices that firms make. By summing the area under the cost functions up to a given amount of debt, we estimate that the equilibrium all-in expected cost of debt equals about 7 percent of firm value. By summing up the area between the cost and benefit functions, we estimate that the equilibrium net benefits of debt (net of all costs) are about 3.5 percent of firm value. Again, these numbers are fairly moderate and do not suggest pervasive high leverage caused by severe debt bias.

Tax-Loss Carrybacks and Economic Stimulus

For the most part, U.S. companies in recent decades have been able to carry back current-period losses to receive a refund for taxes paid in the past two years. This feature of the tax code serves as an economic stabilizer by providing an infusion of liquidity to (previously profitable) companies that are currently struggling. During the last two recessions, the carryback period was temporarily lengthened to five years in an attempt to stimulate the corporate sector during an economic downturn.

Hyunseob Kim and I examine the economic impact of the stimulus during the most recent recession. 8 Companies were given the option to carry back losses from either their 2008 tax year or their 2009 tax year to receive a refund for taxes paid during the previous five years. Had the carryback period remained at two years, we estimate the carryback feature of the tax code would have provided $77 billion in tax refunds; allowing losses to be carried back an additional three years added an incremental $54 billion in tax refunds to corporate coffers (this estimate ignores TARP recipients and the tax benefits granted to them). Interestingly, the increased benefit was particularly valuable to sectors that were hugely profitable during the economic boom of the mid-2000s but then suffered the greatest losses during the recession: housing, finance, and autos. That is, the U.S. government supported firms in these industries via changes to the tax code.

Payout Policy

One feature of the famous 2003 "Bush tax cuts" was to reduce the maximum tax rate on both qualifying dividends and capital gains to 15 percent, from 38 percent and 20 percent, respectively. This relative reduction in dividend taxation thus made dividends more attractive to taxable individual investors. 9 Given this increased investor preference for dividends, one might expect companies to begin to pay out a larger proportion of profits via dividends. Research shows that there was a surge of dividend initiations following the May 2003 implementation of these tax breaks and that dividend hikes were largest at the companies that had the greatest net tax incentive to increase dividends, such as firms with proportionally more individual investors (which makes sense given that the tax cut was focused on individuals). Chetty and Saez show that the dividend increases were less likely to occur in firms for which the executives owned substantial stock options (which makes sense because options are not dividend protected, meaning that paying a dividend reduces the value of existing options). 10

Thus, investor-level taxes affect corporate payout choices. However, are taxes the dominant force driving payout policy? Based on surveys and one-on-one interviews, three co-authors and I document that CFOs agree with the general conclusion that firms increased dividends in response to the reduction in retail investor dividend tax rates -- but we conclude that the 2003 tax effect on corporate payout decisions was overall moderate. 11 Executives indicate that non-tax conditions (such as generating long-run, sustainable earnings or facing lower growth prospects) are the first-order factors that determine payout policy and also determine whether a particular firm is at a margin where taxes would affect its payout decisions. In summary, most CFOs say that tax considerations matter but taxes are not the dominant factor in their decisions about whether to increase dividends or choose dividends over share repurchases.

Taxes on Foreign Profits

Economics and politics have merged into a contentious debate related to the extent to which U.S. firms should pay U.S. taxes on profits earned by their foreign divisions and subsidiaries. Under current law, taxes are paid to foreign authorities as the profits are earned - but taxes are not paid to the U.S. tax authority until the profits are returned home ("repatriated") to the domestic parent. By surveying tax executives, two-coauthors and I learn that the ability to defer paying U.S. taxes is in fact one of the most important reasons that U.S. companies invest overseas. 12 Opponents of these tax rules argue that evidence like this is proof that U.S. firms shift jobs overseas to the detriment of domestic employment. (Supporters of the repatriation tax rules argue that they help U.S. firms compete overseas.)

If foreign profits are repatriated home, they are then taxed at a rate essentially equal to the degree to which the U.S. tax rate exceeds the tax rate in the foreign jurisdiction in which they were earned (for example, profits earned and taxed at an Irish corporate tax rate of 13 percent would be taxed an additional 22 percent when returned to the United States because the U.S. corporate income tax rate is 35 percent). In 2004, Congress passed the American Jobs Creation Act, which allowed firms to repatriate profits to the United States subject to a tax rate of no more than 5.25 percent and often much lower. Our research documents that many firms embraced this tax break and bought profits home to the United States. Perhaps surprisingly, we also show that some firms did not repatriate earnings, even at low repatriation tax rates, and even though repatriation would have a positive effect on actual cash flows, because it would lead to a reduction in reported earnings. That is, even at low tax rates repatriation is at times avoided by firms because it reduces earnings per share, which financial executives believe in turn hurts stock price. Interestingly, Senator Kay Hagen recently proposed instituting another "one time" reduction in taxes owed on repatriated profits. Justification for such a proposal is unclear given that, overall, academic research into the 2004 reduction in repatriation taxes does not provide clear evidence that on net firms used the funds brought home to increase investment or hiring.

In summary, the tax code is constantly under revision, in part in an attempt by authorities to alter corporate behavior. Recent research documents that tax incentives do affect corporate behavior, but often the effects are often modest. I look forward to future research that helps explain why tax effects are not always as large as we might expect, whether the reason be measurement issues, offsetting nontax influences, or unanticipated changes in corporate behavior that occur as the economy re-equilibrates.

1. J. R. Graham, "Debt and the Marginal Tax Rate," Journal of Financial Economics , 41, 1996, pp. 41-74. 2. J. R. Graham, M. Lemmon, and J. Schallheim, "Debt, Leases, Taxes, and the Endogeneity of Corporate Tax Status," Journal of Finance , 53, 1998, pp. 131-62. 3. J. R. Graham, "Do Personal Taxes Affect Corporate Financing Decisions?" Journal of Public Economics , 73, 1999, pp. 147-85. 4. For details, see J. R. Graham, J. Raedy, and D. Shackleford, "Accounting for Income Taxes," NBER Working Paper No. 15665 , January 2010, and Journal of Accounting and Economics forthcoming 5. J. R. Graham and L. Mills, "Using Tax Return Data to Simulate Corporate Marginal Tax Rates", NBER Working Paper No. 13709 , December 2007, and Journal of Accounting and Economics , 446:2-3, 2008, pp.366-88. 6. J.R. Graham, S. Hazarika, and K. Narasimhan, "Financial Distress during the Great Depression", NBER Working Paper No. 17388 , August 2011, and Financial Management forthcoming. 7. J. van Binsbergen, J. R. Graham, and J. Yang, "The Cost of Debt", NBER Working Paper No. 16023 , May 2010, and Journal of Finance 65:6, 2010, pp.2089-136. 8. J.R. Graham, and H. Kim, "The Effects of the Length of the Tax-Loss Carry back Period on Tax Receipts and Corporate Marginal Tax Rates", NBER Working Paper No. 15177 , July 2009, and National Tax Journal , 62, 2009, pp.413 - 27. 9. Alok Kumar and I find that individual investors form clienteles based on tax preferences of holding dividends and that individual investors shift holdings to tax-deferred accounts in response to higher income tax rates. See J.R. Graham and A. Kumar, "Do Dividend Clienteles Exist? Evidence on Dividend Preferences of Retail Investors", Journal of Finance 61, 2006, pp. 1305-336. 10. R. Chetty and E. Saez, "Dividend Taxes and Corproate Behavior: Evidence from the 2003 Dividend Tax Cut", NBER Working Paper No. 10841 , October 2004; J. Poterba, "Taxation and Corporate Payout Policy", NBER Working Paper No. 10321 , February 2004; J. Bouin, J. Raedy, and D. Shackelford, "Did Dividends Increase Immediately After the 2003 Reduction in Tax Rates?" NBER Working Paper No. 10301 , February 2004. 11. A. Brav, J. R. Graham, C. R. Harvey and R. Michaely, "Payout Policy in the 21st Century," NBER Working Paper No. 9657 , April 2003, and Journal of Financial Economics , 77:3, 2005, pp. 483-527. 12. J.R. Graham, M. Hanlon, and T. Shevlin, "Real Effects of Accounting Rules: Evidence from Multinational Firms Investment Location and Profit Repatriation Decisions", Journal of Accounting Research , 49, 2011, pp.137-85.

Researchers

267 Interesting Tax Topics to Write about & Examples

Welcome to our list of the most interesting tax topics! Here, you will find trending corporate tax research paper topics, taxes essay ideas, and bonus examples. Check them out!

🔝 Top 10 Tax Topics to Write about in 2024

🏆 best taxes topic ideas & essay examples, 👍 good essay topics on taxes, 📌 simple & easy taxes essay titles, 💡 interesting topics to write about taxes, 🔎 most interesting taxes topics to write about, ❓ tax research question, 🔥 trending tax research topics.

The Basics of Income Tax: Brackets and Deductions
The Impact of Tax Policies on Business and Investment
Sales Tax vs. Value-Added Tax
Property Taxes: Pros and Cons
Legal and Ethical Dimensions of Tax Evasion
Challenges and Opportunities of International Taxation
How Tax Incentives Promote Social Objectives
The History of Taxation
Equity and Efficiency in Taxation
Tax Reform Proposals and Their Implications
Property Taxes for Owners of Habitat for Humanity Houses The second argument for establishing a tax break for the owners of the Habitat for Humanity houses is the patent unfairness of the current system of determining the tax rate for this category of property […]
The Benefits of Lowering Taxes There will be prosperity in the country and the same will motivate the people to work very hard, this will again work in the benefit of the economy. This will make a nation prosper and […]
The Double Taxation Agreement Between Kenya and the UK 5 Stefan, who is responsible for the daily activities of the company, will receive management fees arising from the operations in Kenya will be taxed in Kenya inline with Article 14 of the agreement that […]
Tax Exemption of Churches From Tax Payments It is unfair for the government to exempt religious groups from paying taxes because this marginalizes some other groups, including LGBTQ and atheists.
History of Tax Morality Theory At the beginning of the 1990s, tax morale drew widespread interest and has since become a fundamental problem in the scholarly investigation of tax compliance.
Should Tax Laws Be Reformed to Encourage Saving? Because of the lack of honesty by taxpayers, there is always a shortfall of about 300 billion dollars compared with the amount of tax owed to the federal government.
Business and Economics: The Income Tax Citizens started to shift their opinions about the president’s strength and what the national government should do as the presidency changed during the Progressive Era. Between 1901 and 1921, Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson served as […]
Addressing Tax Challenges by Introducing a Reform A major obstacle to the growth of the economy and the sharing of revenues is tax avoidance or evasion by big businesses.
“Windfall Taxes on Energy Are All the Rage They Shouldn’t Be” by Mintz As such, the editors expound that the Russian invasion of Ukraine has led to governments from Europe to the United States grappling with energy alternatives due to its scarcity.
Aspects of Tax Research Problem According to the Internal Revenue Commissioner’s decision, the installments made throughout the years to the Kellogg Company, deductions from regular earnings, and basic expenses did not happen.
Tax, Lease and Gross Income Problem If this were the case, it would be subject to the gross income requirements of Section 109 or the taxable amount corresponding to the amount obtained through the sale.
Poor Segments of Population: Tax Cuts Effects In this context, the reduction of after-tax incomes of low-income families tends to be much more profound, which contributes to the disparities in income and overall wealth inequality.
Autoethnography: “Black” Taxes in South Africa My brief analysis of the academic literature reveals the significance of the black tax problem, the consequence of which is the compulsion to work harder and a marked decline in the quality of life for […]
Blockchain and Alteryx Technologies for Tax Administration Alteryx can be considered a comprehensive platform because it is neutral in its data outputs and covers most aspects of the analytics process.
The Tax Transformation Technology Roadmap The use of outdated programs and tools can lead to several problems related to both the effectiveness of the work and the processes themselves.
Corporate Sustainability Worldview and Tax Avoidance This proposal introduces the plan of a research project devoted to the association between a company’s adherence to corporate sustainability reporting and tax avoidance trends. Define and research the concept of corporate sustainability reporting within […]
Transferring Tax Losses to the Future In addition, due to the availability of an estimated reserve, many people may risk opening a company and then abandoning this business.
Pros and Cons of Consumption Tax Over Income Tax Unlike the income tax, where the target population is low, focusing on the consumption tax gives the government access to all people, increasing revenues. With the elimination of the income tax system, people are encouraged […]
Value-Added Tax and Tax Morality: Legal Framework In order for the concept of tax morality to be determined, it is essential to identify the legal framework for the flat tax that consumers pay once they purchase an item.
The Federal Unemployment Tax Some percent of wages is retained by the employer from the employee’s pay, who then remits the funds to the government on the worker’s behalf.
Global vs. India Tax and Remuneration Policies Some MNCs use a standard compensation rate, while others depend on the market forces of the host country to determine the compensation of the employees.
The Food Tax in Oklahoma Articles This article is about the food tax in Oklahoma, one of the few states where this measure exists. In the news about the passage of the food tax ban bill, there is a brief interview […]
Systems of Taxes During the Era of Colonialism As a result, the history of taxes is inextricably linked to the nation’s progress and influence since the colonial period. Individuals in the UAE are not subject to income tax.
The US Tax Planning Strategy and Reporting Standards The move will require the government to analyze tax implications and determine whether making the tax approach conforms to the method allowed by the standards.
Exports and Excise Taxes as Critical Powers of the U.S. Congress To summarize, it should be recalled that the powers of the U.S. Among these powers, one of the most important is the administration of excise taxes and the country’s import policy.
Privatization, Public-Private Partnerships, and Tax Policy in San Diego In the end, the San Diego Administration Government took control of the project and has been able to operate it successfully as a component of the open road system in the County.
The Laffer Curve: Tax Revenue History & Reforms In the practical sense, the Laffer Curve is a simple graph, which is demonstrated below: In the chart, the far left point on the X-axis represents the 0% tax rate which would result in the […]
Case Study on Tax Crimes: Distributional Implications of Joint Tax Thus, the above action amounted to tax avoidance since the firm failed to pay the full amount of tax to the United States government.
Biden’s Push to Increase Tax on the Rich From New York Times The major reason for this news is Biden’s will to increase taxes for the rich to fund his plan of reshaping the economy.
The Child Tax Credit Program’s Analysis According to the creators of this bill and the research conducted, the CTC reflects the ideological idea of providing as many citizens of the country as possible with the same living standards.
Article Review on Carbon Tax Policy Whereas the article points out the financial implication of the Canadian government policy on climate change, it failed to appreciate the general ethical benefits that the world will gain if Canada commits to climate change […]
Tax Effect of Salary Dividends & Cash Withdrawal If Bob chooses to structure his venture as a corporation, it is recommended for him to receive salaries up to the IRS’s highest level.
Business Charitable Contributions for Tax Purposes For instance, the way a tax is imposed for a sole proprietor is different for a partner in a partnership business.
The Pink Tax Issue: Economic Discrimination Against Women Opponents of the Pink Tax argue that it denies women of agency and choice by implying that women are susceptible to a marketing strategy that prevents them from selecting cheaper products.
The Impact of the New Tax Law on Executive Compensation The latter point connects executive compensation and the issue of the new tax law, which affects several aspects of the former.
Taxes, Public Utilities, and Impact on Households However, despite the direct impact of the levies on the household budgets, taxes are critical in supporting governmental expenditure, including offsetting costs of delivery of public utilities and services, such as road construction and healthcare.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) of 2017 The 2017 tax reform ended up in the first significant changes in the field since the Tax Reform Act of 1986.
Researching Worldwide Tax Avoidance According to Prosser & Murray, “tax avoidance” is the legitimate use of the taxation system to decrease the amount of tax payable within a regulatory framework.
The Concept of Interperiod Tax Allocation Under this method, the current income tax of a specific period is considered as the income tax expense of that period.
Tax Consequences Advice Sue of the Above Transactions The information provided is not sufficient for one to tell if Sue has been receiving rent and if yes, she has been paying her tax.
Tax Research Problem: Mr. Smith Medical Case Study He also incurs maintenance expenses of the pool and other medical expenses, while the existence of the pool increases the value of the home to some extent.
The Supreme Court’s Internet Sales Tax Decision The added input leads to an increase in products’ prices, making it hard for e-commerce startups to compete with other large-scale retailers and wholesalers.
The Sale Tax Legislation of Hong Kong This study also explained the provisions of the IRD that relate to the Goods and Services Tax in Hong Kong. Tax administration of a particular country is a significant concern as the issue of development […]
The Border Security Tax and Violation of the U.S. Constitution One of them is known as “taxation without representation,” and its applicability to the case is conditional upon the attempts of the president to make Mexico pay for the prospective wall construction.
Estate and Ownership Transfer Tax Policy and Regulations in Connecticut Fairfield Therefore, estate owners should considerably reduce their property taxes according to the tax laws to ensure that those who inherit the estates remain comfortable in the future.
Specific Tax Measures to Digitalized Economy The formation of the digital economy determines the need for appropriate development and improvement of the processes and mechanisms of state regulation.
Analysis of Federal Tax Policy According to Page, “Implications of Federal tax policies of significance to farmers are particularly notable in tax burdens, land prices and the ownership of capital assets, the cost of capital relative to labor, the size […]
Taxation: CPA Tax Software The implementations of the income tax law require the political and legal willpower of those who are in the leadership positions.
Tax Return Process Analysis Form 1040 is the form of the US Individual Income Tax Return. The next section of form 1040 gives the amount of tax and credits.
Taxation Law: UK Inheritance Tax For example, in the UK inheritance tax is a tax levied on the assets of the dead and therefore estate tax and inheritance tax are more of the same.
Tax Research: Ed and Whitney case The taxability of the elemental document that was discovered by use of CCH remedies will be dependent on manifold concerns, encompassing: whether there is a taxable income that is associated with this document and if […]
Accounting: The Payment of Taxes The payment of taxes for both Rigas and Adelphia with one Adelphia check and the outrageous spending of the company could also be used as a recommendation for the discovery of the case.
Working Income Tax Benefit in Canada Several measures have been enacted to address the issues of income inequality in the tax system, including the changes in the treatment of capital income, changes in unemployment and the structure of the labor market, […]
Property Taxes Herb Construction Company This is because the taxes of the property are directly due to the development of the property. Therefore, Herb Construction Company should capitalize interest and property taxes of the hotel under construction.
Tax Consequences: Result of Selling The tax implication on the shares that Amy intents to dispose depends on two issues: First, whether Amy sells her shares to Beth and Meg or to either Beth or Meg, and secondly, whether she […]
Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities This paper seeks to examine whether deferred tax assets and deferred tax liabilities satisfy the definition and recognition criteria for assets and liabilities according to the AASB framework for the preparation and presentation of Financial […]
Bylaw No. 8370: Downtown Revitalization Tax Exemption The council of the City of Prince George is charged with the mandate of providing a variety of services to residents and inhabitants of the area.
Australian Income Tax Law Reform on Education Expenses Under the prevailing Australian federal income tax law, stipulated in the provisions of the income tax law, section 8A of the Income Tax Assessment Tax 1936 refutes deductions exceeding $250 of expenses incurred on self-education.
Progressive Consumption Tax A consumption tax is a duty on goods and services spent by a household. Third, consumption taxes have a wider base, easier to implement as all consumption levels are taxed and it is considered a […]
Taxation: Income and Corporation Tax in UK In 2006 for example, the percentage of the national income absorbed by tax in the UK averaged those of the developed countries.
The Role of Offshore Tax Havens This particular scenario was seen in the aftermath of the 2008 financial crisis wherein despite the bailouts provided by the government there was still a certain degree of hesitance on the part of banks to […]
New Tax Proposals: Perry Tax Plans Indeed, one of the outstanding attributes of this tax plan is that it attempts to level down all major tax deductions. The good element in this tax plan is that it brings about total change […]
Factors That Should Take Into Account When Designing a Tax System to Finance Public Expenditure The tax collected is principally used to finance the expenditure of the government, for instance, paying of government officials and provision of essential services to the residents of the country.
Tax Treatment of Attorney Fees During the pendency of her appeal in the court of law, the Texas County changed the zoning law permitting two residences per acre as against the original law of only one residence per every two […]
Legal Costs of Acquiring a Capital Asset: Tax Problem Analysis In 2010, she appealed the decision to the Texas County Board of Supervisors challenging the County’s zoning law. Is the attorney fee incurred in the process of challenging the appraisal of the land tax deductible?
Taxable Events and Complexity of the Tax System Arguments in favor of corporate formations as taxable events: Taxable events refer to financial transactions that are likely to lead to tax consequences.
Taxation Law: Tax and Fees Paid to the Attorney The tax of the $11,000 fees paid to the attorney by Sarah is a fixed amount hence no deductions will be made on the value.
China Looks at Introducing Tax on Foreign Currency Transactions Even though the overall outflow of foreign capital slowed down, there is still the danger to the economic wellbeing of the country.
Tax Eligibility and Disability Payment Another reason is that the injury he suffers occurred during his service in the army as an employee of the state.
Individual Income Tax & Home Mortgage Interest Deduction To ease the burden of taxation on the citizens, the United States Congress included the deduction for home mortgage interest in the internal revenue code.
Tax Research Memorandum for Lunar Corporation Further, Mo wants to write off the loans as a bad debt expense on the returns for the personal tax. Mo is a shareholder and an employee of the company.
Taxpayers’ Reaction to Payment of Tax Thus, taxpayers’ reaction to payment of taxes should focus on tax compliance and tax evasion in order to understand underlying behaviours that influence tax payment and evasion and get insights on such reactions.
Trade Groups Identifies Medical Device Makers Passing on Federal Tax If higher pricing is illegal in the context of the new taxation policy for all organizations and importers of medical devices, it implies that they need to look for alternative ways of recovering the costs.
Offshore Tax Structures and Foreign Exchange Regulations In this paper, the researcher seeks to determine the offshore tax structures and foreign exchange regulations that will affect the decision to take the Venezuelan boulevards into the international market.
American Tax Code Analysis Throughout the article, the authors revolve around the desire to push the conversation forward bearing in mind that it is long overdue. The energy sector is the latest target in the proposed White House budget […]
Corporate Tax to Grind In an effort to eliminate the negative impacts associated with tax avoidance both to the corporation and the overall economy, the article highlights some of the efforts that countries are making.
Taxation: The Australian Carbon Tax According to Bourdieu’s school of thought, economic capital is the total sum of material objects that a person possesses. Carbon taxes indicate these costs, and they have the capacity to minimise inequalities from forms of […]
Financial Operation Within Tax-Exempt Country This means that the test results obtained cannot help to explain the capital structure of companies in tax-exempt countries that still developing.
Tax Periods and Method. Organization and Summary The main source of income / revenue in this business will be offering of SEO services to website owners. Einstein Web Solutions is committed to provision of SEO services that will raise the online presence […]
Tax-Deductible Losses in the United States After the end of the civil war, the need for federal revenue declined considerably, and the government officials thought that abolishing the income taxes would be a fair approach to relieve the citizens.
Worldwide Tax versus Territorial Tax The main distinction between the United States’ tax system and that of most countries is the manner in which the earnings that are made in foreign countries are handled when they are repatriated back to […]
Researching Tax in the United States The defensible strategy for the client is based on the six steps in the tax research process namely establishment of facts, identification of issues, location of the authority, evaluation of the authority, development of conclusions […]
Tax Effects of Various Methods of Forming a Corporation The possible methods are the distribution of the assets to the partners who are expected to contribute the assets to the corporation; the method of transferring the assets to the corporation directly; and the method […]
Individual Income Tax Gains due the cancellation or sale of a life insurance policy before the death of the insured are subject to taxation because the tax exemption on proceeds from life insurance applies upon the death of […]
Taxation: Tax Compliance The approach is relevant for determining the undisclosed income since it involves assessing the tax accountability by examining the financial performance of a taxpayer from assortment of sources outside the declaration of the taxpayer and […]
Federal Income Taxation: Tax File Memorandum It is within this layover moment that Mark takes a 4-hour nap in the ferryboat Is the cost of meals Mark purchased while on his usual rounds deductible?
Australia’s Car Fringe Car Tax Benefits In May 2011, the federal government implemented some changes to the income tax laws and one of the areas that was affected was the car fringe benefit calculations and the take home pay of employees.
Ethical Standards for Tax Professionals She is entitled for tax deduction if the equipment purchased is for producing income for the business and in this case the equipment has to be capitalized in the year of purchase.
Australia Corporate Tax on Income The rate on the income for the tax period 2009/2010 is 30%. Replacement value is the price to be paid in future for the stock.
Canadian Income Tax Return For instance, if an employee uses a motor vehicle for both corporate and private purposes, he/she should distinguish between these issues and count only the kilometers passed on business while the total amount of kilometers […]
Discriminatory Tax Provisions But the establishment of a uniform tax regime to implement the principle of freedom of movement of goods as one of the four fundamental freedoms for the entire region has not been smooth and the […]
Stock Share: Tax on Transfer Gain It is important to note that according to the Special Law for the Promotion of Venture Business, the new technology investment company is not considered registered.
Income Tax Deductions Issues According to Fishman, income tax is the tax levied on the incomes of businesses both corporations and other legal entities and on the income of individual citizens of a country.
Business Ethics: Tax Scamming Of course, in viewing the problem ethically, small business whose incomes suffer from abusive taxations, as their main goal is to justify the inputs made by investors, to produce the outputs for the customers and […]
Tax Planning for Low-Income Taxpayers The definition of family in the family trust selection regulations will be changed to restrict lineal successors to children or grandchildren of the test persons or the test someone’s spouse.
Pros and Cons of Regressive Tax Policy in Texas Hence, the Texas case becomes exceptionally peculiar in the context of taxation, as it appears to be a part of a broader discussion.
An Existing Obesity Crisis: A Sugar Tax? Tirado agrees that the problem of obesity and, particularly, the issue of excessive sugar consumption, exists but the current measures and methods do not address the root of it.
COVID-19 Effect on Global Tax Collections The emergence of the digital economy has caused confusion concerning how tech companies should pay their corporate taxes. The Global Tax Project of 2013 seeks to address these issues to avoid a patchwork of national […]
“Why Do Developing Countries Tax So Little?” by Besley and Persson The present paper offers a response to the article by discussing the major strengths and weaknesses of the arguments provided in the article and describing the implications of the findings.
Strategies of Tax Avoidance This paper aims to dwell upon several issues, including previously mentioned problems along with the use of the Double Irish and the Dutch Sandwich by Google, Google’s negotiation with the Internal Revenue Service, and Microsoft’s […]
Zero Personal Income Tax in the US Thus, the primary source of tax income for Saudi Arabia is the taxation of various types of businesses. The authors went on to theorize that the tax system in general and tax rates for both […]
Opioid Epidemic and Budget Losses in Tax Revenue The authors provide the estimates of the budget losses in tax revenue associated with opioid use disorder. The authors also claim that the investment in the prevention and treatment of substance abuse disorders can mitigate […]
Border Tax Adjustment and Greenhouse Gas Emissions With regards to this, the short-term effect of the BTAs is that they will create equal competition conditions in the world market, while the long-term one is that the BTAs will contribute to the achievement […]
Obama’s Tax Relief Plan Analysis The following graph outlines the proposed tax cut relief plan in detail and it would be analyzed in terms of the effect that it has had on the economy and it’s bearing on the American […]
Efficacy of the Taxes Act 2003 This paper critically examines the efficacy of the Taxes Act 2003, passed by former President Bush by cutting personal taxes and depreciation rates, in order to create more incomes and thus increase consumer spending, leading […]
President Bush’s Tax Cut Policies The impact of the tax cuts on the high-income households, the middle-income households and the low-income households have been assessed. Taylor argues that the tax cut policies of President Bush have minimized the amount of […]
Accounting for Sales Tax Revenue in Florida State The Florida State Department of Revenue has the responsibility of administering revenue laws of the state to its citizens as well as the laws that are related to the inspection of the books of accounts […]
Tax Law in Accounting Thus, it is not surprising to see that the higher the income of the individual the higher would be share in taxes. Similarly, difference in net income between financial accounting and tax accounting could be […]
Carbon Tax in Norway & Denmark: Economic Analysis In the long term, carbon tax can make the use of alternative energy sources the new norm and set the standard in stone.
Tax Authority’s Effectiveness and Implications Apply the provisions of tax treaties in a fair and consistent manner; promote the fair sharing of taxing rights in tax treaties and the development of domestic laws; not promote or facilitate tax evasion or […]
Internal Revenue Service in Tax Administration This is an analytical as well as empirical study with a view to exploring the deficiencies and impediments in the way of effective operation and management of the Internal Revenue Service.
Lomanno: Tax Law and Court Rulings Report The second fact is that the husband of a petitioner did not have the permission to sign her name to income tax in the years that are discussed and there was also no approval to […]
The Provision of the Information on Tax Treatments The complexity of this framework might be confusing for people and presuppose some difficulties with the determination of various types of payments that are obliged to do.
Property Taxes and Assessment System The government should consider not only the current value of the property in the area and state of the evaluated object but also the term of ownership to distribute taxes equitably.
Microeconomics: Cigarette Taxes and Public Smoking Ban The problem of passive smoking will be minimized when the number of smokers decreases. It is agreeable that the meager incomes of such families will be used to purchase cigarettes.
The Political Stream: New Tax on Sweetened Beverages We delegate our rights to the government, including the local government of San Francisco, so that they can perform the measures that are beneficial to us.
Tobin Tax for the United Kingdom and United States The reason is that the commission has put it clear that the financial transaction tax will not only be implemented to financial institutions that are within the FTT region.
Swobodaville City’s Tax Revenues Most of the tax rates are imposed by either the central government or the local authority. When the income tax rates are set locally, there is a tendency for the authority to offer lower tax […]
International Tax Havens and Impact on Arizona and World The study will be focusing on examining the impact of international tax havens on Arizona and the world, specifically the international financial market, which in turn has the capacity to affect the agribusiness environment, its […]
Income Tax Breaks and Housing for the Elderly This policy was formulated in 2002 to cater to the elderly as it had been found that the majority of them suffered from fall-related injuries.
Corporate Tax Assignment in the UK and the US It is noteworthy that companies-residents of countries that have established income tax treaties with the US are only subjected to taxation “only to the extent the income is attributable to a permanent establishments in the […]
New Tax Reform of 2017 in the United States The paper consists of two parts: the essence of the reform and its perception by various social and political stakeholders will be summarized, and then the reform will be investigated in the context of the […]
Deferred Tax Assets and Future Payments Study The author also establishes the significance of the research question, explaining that determining the presence of a strong association between deferred taxes and future tax payments could be used to improve the current financial accounting […]
The Importance of Tax in Our Life A critical view of the tax reveals that its intention was not to boost health outcomes for the citizens of Cook County, but to help the administration in raising about $1.
Repealing Soda Tax: Pros and Cons The article titled “Chicago’s Soda Tax is Repealed,” published by The Economist on October 13th, 2017, celebrates the repeal of the infamous soda tax, which received large amounts of criticism from both the soft drink […]
Republican Tax Rewrite: Helps Some, Hurts Others The purpose of the piece is to explore the consequences of the recent tax rewrite, pushed by the Republicans. An excellent alternative to the government’s actions, in this case, would be to involve the public, […]
Tax Reform in the United States Furthermore, the adoption of the Consumption Tax as the foundation for the current fiscal system will encourage the residents of the United States to change their buying behavior.
Corporate Tax Rates and Project Valuation In this paper, the influence of corporate tax rates and the importance of project valuation, cash flows, and risk analysis will be discussed.
Legal Marijuana Market Analysis and Taxes Impact Consequently, the primary goal of this paper is to understand the impact of taxes on the financial stability of the market for legal marijuana with the help of the law of supply and demand and […]
Tax Lien as a Car Purchasing Hindrance In case one is buying a house or a car and the tax lien is a hindrance to the purchasing process the Taxpayer Advocate service should be contacted for immediate action to be taken towards […]
Personal Income Tax: Arguments For and Against In addition, there is a liability to a personal income tax and the responsible tax paying entity must compute, file and pay tax as per the rules of the state.
US Corporate Taxes Improvement and Alternatives The repatriation process will also increase the total US income; since many companies will relocate, back home and their tax revenues will benefit the country.
American Estate Tax, Laws and Ways of Minimization The fair market value of the estate is adjusted with the amount of related allowable deductions to obtain the value of the net value of the Estate.
Drug Legalization: Increased Taxes v Health Issues A brief analysis of the problem shows that legalisation of drugs is an efficient and even necessary measure to address the problem.
UAE Tax Policy Analysis Put back on the blue hat and make recommendations
Effects of Taxes and Economic Incentives on Business In spite of the wide array of these elements, analysts argue that taxes play the most critical role in influencing the location choices. In this paper, the author will assess the impacts of taxes and […]
The “Waist Banned” Article – Taxes on Junk Food On the other hand, the article describes the possibility of a failure in the projected effects of taxation on junk foods because of the likelihood of junk food addicts to forego expenditures of important foods […]
Taxes on Alcohol and Cigarettes as a Healthcare Costs According to the Senate Committee mandated to oversee the department of finance, the cost of managing diseases related to liquor and cigarettes in the next ten years will be over $1.
The Strategy of Toyota and H&R Tax Service As such, the key to success as well as prolonged existence in the market calls for the organizations to establish a tradition that ensures the development of modern initiatives, training and the application of new […]
Tax Shelter and Offshore: Control and Investment From this point, the long-term investment can be discussed as the effective tax shelter method to reduce the taxable income and tax payments.
Federal Tax Law: Implications of Replacement The integration of the federal tax rate would improve the government’s capacity to ensure equity in the administration of the tax law. Replacing the federal income tax rate would contribute to considerable promotion in the […]
Increasing Sin Tax for Increasing Costs of Medical Care Should The United States Federal Government increase “sin taxes” on alcohol and tobacco to help pay for the increasing costs of medical care?
VAT Versus Flat Tax Versus More Progressive Tax On the other hand, progressive tax is the form of tax where tax rate varies with income. In this case, the VAT tax may reduce the level of aggregate demand in the country.
Need of Tax Cuts However, in the long term, a tax cut is speculated to have macro-economic benefits if the taxpayers use the supplementary income they get wisely, and at the same time, the governments adjust well to its […]
University Students Should Not Pay Tax The government stepped in and tried to even out the disparities in university education that are as a direct result of income differences between students.
Taxes and Education: A Cooperation That Went Awry By means of comparison, logical evaluations, social references, and a number of jeers in the text, the author chooses a kind of angry tone of writing to prove how irrational and unfair the attitude of […]
Taxes Effects on Goods and Services On the other hand, if the elasticity of demand is higher than the elasticity of supply for a given commodity, suppliers will have to bear the burden of the tax alone or pay the higher […]
Property Tax Role in a Developing Country In the light of this view, this paper discusses the role of property tax to in helping a developing nation to attain the goals of encouraging capital formation, increase the rates of savings of its […]
Tax Law Sources: Substantial Authority and Courts This essay explores the primary and secondary sources of tax law, substantial authority and the roles of the courts and internal revenue service in interpreting and applying the sources of tax law.
Organizational Change Project “Fat Tax” in Denmark Analyzing the effects of the reform in the context of a specific organization and taking a closer look at the changes that the Fat Tax has inflicted on it, one can possibly decide whether the […]
Tax Equity in Countries Economy Therefore, a tax bracket should be created to cushion the poor from high income taxes. This is because the poor will be forced to spend a large portion of their pay on taxes.
Best Tax Preparation Office in Tampa, Florida For example, the studies showed that the success of a given firm is determined by how well the management aligns the positive attributes of the firm to the factors significant in that industry.
Mineral Resource Rent Tax Policy According to Golob, the MRRT policy was expected to expand the coverage of the present Petroleum Resource Rent Tax; in such a way that as from 2012 1st July the proposed tax policy would be […]
Using Taxes to Address Traffic Safety Problems in Oman If this form of tax is properly applied it can generate money for the government which can be used to address traffic problems and eventually reduce the number of accidents in the country.
Impacts of the Implementation of Australia’s “Carbon Tax” The focus of this paper is on the examination of the Australia’s Carbon Tax and its impacts on the strategies of firms within the country.
Bush Tax Cuts Debate Calls to end the federal tax cuts are majorly spearheaded by the democrats because they are of the opinion that the tax cuts majorly favor the rich and consequently lead to the growth of the […]
Taxes, Capitalism, and Democracy: Karl Marx vs. Plato The claims in the media belong to the camp of freedom and community. Marx argued that taxation is one of the reasons that will force workers to challenge the elites in society.
Tax Cuts in Keynesian Economics Manipulating government’s spending leads to change in position of the aggregate demand because the government forms part of the aggregate demand.
Carbon Taxes in Environmental Protection In addition, application of the strategy extends to the use of fuels and the amount of carbon emitted in the process of production.
Income Taxation in Canada Simplicity: In terms of simplicity, Canadians believe that the progressive tax structure is simpler as compared to the flat tax structure.
Putting Out the Fires: Will Higher Taxes Reduce the Onset of Youth Smoking?
State Management of Taxes and Policies
Inflation Tax – Printing More Money to Cover the War Expenses
Australian Taxation: Minerals Resource Rent Tax
Carbon Tax Advantages and Disadvantages in Australia
The Mineral Resource Rent Tax in Australia
Exempted From Paying Taxes: International Students Who Are Not Working
Self Managed Super Fund: Superannuation and Tax
Fraudulent Accounting and Tax Evasion
Legal and Illegal Tax Shelters
Roles of Property Tax
Effect of tax on Vietnamese hangers
Economic Effects of Tax Reform
Tax Evasion in Egypt
Tax Avoidance Legal and Illegal Ways
The Debate About Tax Cuts
The Evaluation of Tax Reform Strategies in the United States
U.S. Corporate Tax Havens
The Issue of Huge Taxes
The Internal Revenue Service Uncovers Tax Fraud with a Data Warehouse
Government Spending and Tax Legislation Signed by the President
Welfare Expenditure Reduction: Obama’s Federal Worker “Tax”
Relationship Between Budget Deficits and Tax Cutting
Tax efficient financial planning
Fair Tax and Laffer Curve
How tax cuts help revive the economy
Environmental Management: Green Taxes
American Tendency of Rising Taxes
Australian Goods and Services Tax System
The Fat Tax Concept
Are Capital Taxes Racing to the Bottom in the European Union?
Does Firm Heterogeneity Impact the Effectiveness of Carbon Taxes?
Why Are Property Taxes Important for Local Communities?
Can Border Carbon Taxes Fit Into the Global Trade Regime?
How Do Taxes Affect Interstate Migration?
Who Benefits Most From Property Assessment Taxes?
Are Consumption Taxes Preferable to Income Taxes for Preventing Macroeconomic Instability?
Does Social Trust Increase Willingness to Pay Taxes to Improve Public Healthcare?
Can Green Taxes Save the Environment?
How Do Tax Policies Affect Individuals and Businesses?
Why Doesn’t the US Include Sales Tax in Prices?
Should Euro Area Countries Cut Taxes on Labor or Capital in Order to Boost Their Growth?
Are Differentiated Carbon Taxes Inefficient?
How Do Capital Taxes Harm Economic Growth?
Can Property Taxes Reduce House Price Volatility?
Would People Rather Pay Taxes or Trade Taxes to Pay for Environmental Goods?
Are Environmental Taxes Affected by Legislatures’ Ideological Positions?
How Do Major Local Taxes Affect Private Employment?
Can Redistributive State Taxes Reduce Inequality?
Are Small Business Owners More Successful in Avoiding Taxes?
What Is the Most Important Tax Used at the Local Level?
Can Taxes Drive Agglomeration While Approaching the Global Economy?
How Effective Are Environmental Taxes in the Petroleum Industry?
Are Soft Drink Taxes an Effective Mechanism for Reducing Obesity?
Should the Government Increase Taxes on Oil to Encourage More Public Transport Use?
What Are the Ways to Save Income Tax in India?
How Do the Wealthy Minimize Their Tax Burden in the U.S.?
Are Taxes Credits Effective in Developing Countries?
How Do Taxes Affect the Incentive to Invest in New Intangible Assets?
Could Higher Taxes Increase the Long-Run Demand for Capital?
The Impact of Taxation on Investment Rates
Tax Havens: Strategies and Consequences of International Taxation Avoidance
Evaluation of Profit Shifting in Corporate Taxation
Use of Tax Incentives in Promoting Adoption of Renewable Energy
How Tax Policy Affects Small Business Growth and Entrepreneurship
Tax Compliance and Behavioral Economics
Wealth Taxation’s Feasibility in Addressing Income Inequality
Global Efforts to Tax Digital Economy Transactions
The Laffer Curve and Optimal Tax Rates
Tax Treaties, Double Taxation, and Taxation Rights Between Countries
Green Taxation Policies and Environmental Sustainability
Foreign Direct Investment Inflows and Taxation
Value-Added Tax and Consumption Taxes: Different Models
Property Tax in Funding Local Services
The Challenges of Tax Enforcement in Developing Countries
Contract Law Research Ideas
Business Structure Titles
Corporate Finance Essay Ideas
Economic Topics
Cash Flow Paper Topics
Macroeconomics Topics
Cost Accounting Essay Topics
Government Regulation Titles
Chicago (A-D)
Chicago (N-B)

IvyPanda. (2024, March 1). 267 Interesting Tax Topics to Write about & Examples. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/taxes-essay-topics/

"267 Interesting Tax Topics to Write about & Examples." IvyPanda , 1 Mar. 2024, ivypanda.com/essays/topic/taxes-essay-topics/.

IvyPanda . (2024) '267 Interesting Tax Topics to Write about & Examples'. 1 March.

IvyPanda . 2024. "267 Interesting Tax Topics to Write about & Examples." March 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/taxes-essay-topics/.

1. IvyPanda . "267 Interesting Tax Topics to Write about & Examples." March 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/taxes-essay-topics/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "267 Interesting Tax Topics to Write about & Examples." March 1, 2024. https://ivypanda.com/essays/topic/taxes-essay-topics/.

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

Basic site functions
Ensuring secure, safe transactions
Secure account login
Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
Remembering privacy and security settings
Analyzing site traffic and usage
Personalized search, content, and recommendations
Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

Remembering general and regional preferences
Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy .

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy .

Guide to Researching US Tax Policy

General tips, ask your professor, general guides to choosing a topic, browse cilp, ssrn, or bepress, newsletters, circuit splits, blogs & web resources, table of contents.

Finding Books
Congressional Research Service Reports
Finding Articles
Finding Statutes
Legislative History & Bill Tracking
Finding Cases by Headnote
Federal Administrative Law
Web Resources
Evaluating Sources
Decoding Abbreviations
Bluebook Citation 101 -- Academic Format
Citation Management Services
Law Student Guide to Identifying & Preventing Plagiarism
Law Library Useful Links
Accessing Databases & E-Resources
Get Help & About the Author

If this is for a seminar class, you will want to consult with your professor about what is required from you. Some faculty prepare a list of topic ideas. When choosing a topic, keep the following things in mind:

(1) choose something you find interesting since you will be spending a large amount of time living with this topic;

(2) think carefully about the scope of the topic – avoid overly broad or general topics as well as topics that are too narrow; and

(3) write about something new or look at an issue in a new light.

If you are writing a paper for a seminar class, your professor may have a list of topics that you can use or give you some ideas.

In addition to the Volokh and Falk books that were listed under Writing an Article - General Tips , the following are guides on finding a topic:

Available on HeinOnline, Lexis, Westlaw.

This Article has two sections. The first suggests ways to find an appropriate topic; the second outlines a procedure for "vetting"-- checking for preemption of the topic.

Note Topic Selection on the LexisNexis Services This does reference Lexis.com resources rather than Lexis Advance.
Westlaw, Guide to Legal Research for Law Review

By looking at what others are currently writing about, you can often find ideas about what you want to write about.

Follow directions in description to access content

Bloomberg Law Reports

Bloomberg Law publishes over 40 current report services that track news, topics and trends. Beyond the circuit splits found in the United States Law Week, Bloomberg Law Reports are an excellent resource for potential topics. You can even subscribe to email alerts or an RSS feed.

Mealey’s Newsletters (through Lexis)

Mealey's reports include case summaries, commentaries, and breaking news across different practice areas.

Law360 covers 45 practice areas and provides news on litigation, legislation and regulation, corporate deals, major personnel moves, and legal industry news and trends.

Lexis Emerging Issues

Emerging Issues Analysis articles provides guidance written by attorneys practicing in the field. The commentaries examine a wide range of recent cases, regulations, trends, and developments. They also cover national, state and international issues and provide expert insight in important areas and legal developments.

Westlaw Newsletters

Westlaw Legal Newspapers & Newsletters

CCH Topical Newsletters

CCH is a subsidiary of Wolters Kluwer publishing company and it is well known for business, labor and employment, tax, and health resources. Find and click on your topical area of interest. Then look at the news options for your topic.

A circuit split is where there is a difference of opinion among the United States Courts of Appeal. These often make great law review topics.

United States Law Week (Bloomberg BNA)

The easiest way to browse the Split Circuit Roundup is to use the BNA Online Publications link off of the Law Library’s webpage.

Seton Hall Circuit Review

This law review includes a Current Circuit Splits feature that briefly summarizes current circuit splits, but it also features longer, more in-depth articles analyzing important developments in law at the federal appellate level.

Lexis & Westlaw Searches of Case Law

Potential search to use: split or conflict /s court or circuit or authority
Note that you will want to limit by date and subject to avoid an overwhelming list of results.
Howard J. Bashman, How Appealing

Review the Table of Contents, comments, and/or notes in a textbook or treatise to generate topic ideas.

<< Previous: Home
Next: Finding Books >>
Last Updated: Aug 15, 2024 3:48 PM
URL: https://guides.libraries.uc.edu/taxpolicy

University of Cincinnati Libraries

PO Box 210033 Cincinnati, Ohio 45221-0033

Phone: 513-556-1424

University of Cincinnati

An official website of the United States Government

Kreyòl ayisyen
Search Toggle search Search Include Historical Content - Any - No Include Historical Content - Any - No Search
Menu Toggle menu
INFORMATION FOR…
Individuals
Business & Self Employed
Charities and Nonprofits
International Taxpayers
Federal State and Local Governments
Indian Tribal Governments
Tax Exempt Bonds
FILING FOR INDIVIDUALS
How to File
When to File
Where to File
Update Your Information
Get Your Tax Record
Apply for an Employer ID Number (EIN)
Check Your Amended Return Status
Get an Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN)
File Your Taxes for Free
Bank Account (Direct Pay)
Payment Plan (Installment Agreement)
Electronic Federal Tax Payment System (EFTPS)
Your Online Account
Tax Withholding Estimator
Estimated Taxes
Where's My Refund
What to Expect
Direct Deposit
Reduced Refunds
Amend Return

Credits & Deductions

INFORMATION FOR...
Businesses & Self-Employed
Earned Income Credit (EITC)
Child Tax Credit
Clean Energy and Vehicle Credits
Standard Deduction
Retirement Plans

Forms & Instructions

POPULAR FORMS & INSTRUCTIONS
Form 1040 Instructions
Form 4506-T
POPULAR FOR TAX PROS
Form 1040-X
Circular 230

Find information on complex tax topics

Business, sale and depreciation

Capital gains and losses.

Corporations, exempt organizations and partnerships

Health care

International, rentals and residential, specific forms, sale of business.

Form 4797: Sales of Business Property
Sales and Other Dispositions of Assets, Publication 544
Form 8824, Like-Kind Exchanges
Form 4797, Sales of Business Property
Installment Sales, Publication 537
Form 6252, Installment Sale Income
Installment Sales, Publication 537 (2019)
Topic no. 705 Installment sales
Section 1031 exchange - Advising taxpayers on how to structure a transaction to meet the requirements. Phone assistors will explain the statutory requirements of an IRC Section 1031 exchange. For help, see: IRC Section 1031

Depreciation

Calculation of depreciation for property acquired in a Section 1031 (like-kind) exchange – for help, see: Notice 2000-4 PDF
IRC Section 1250
Topic No. 409 Capital Gains and Losses
IRC Section 179
How to Depreciate Property, Publication 946 (2019)
Instructions for Form 4562 (2019): Depreciation and Amortization (including information on listed property)
IRS issues guidance on Section 179 expenses and Section 168(g) depreciation under Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
New rules and limitations for depreciation and expensing under the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act
Topic no. 704 Depreciation

Return to Categories menu

Our telephone assistors will answer all non-complex capital gains questions. However, we will not do complex calculations for you such as calculating actual basis in complex situations.

Bitcoin, cryptocurrency and virtual currency
Investment Income and Expenses, Publication 550
Excess business losses (Tax Reform)
26 USC 1031 - Exchange of real property held for productive use or investment (Govinfo.gov)
Form 6781, Gains and Losses From Section 1256 Contracts and Straddles
Investment Income and Expenses, Publication 550 (2019)
Topic no. 429 Traders in securities (information for Form 1040 or 1040-SR filers)
Opportunity zones (Tax Reform)
Form 3921, Exercise of an Incentive Stock Option Under Section 422(b)
Form 3922, Transfer of Stock Acquired Through An Employee Stock Purchase Plan Under Section 423(c)
Hedging transactions
Notional principle contracts
Taxable and Nontaxable Income, Publication 525
Puts, calls and straddles
Statutory or non-statutory employee stock options
Qualified bicycle commuting reimbursement (Tax Reform)

Corporations, exempt organizations, and partnerships

IRC Section 481(a)
Form 3115, Application for Change in Accounting Method
Form 2553, Election by a Small Business Corporation
Form 8832, Entity Classification Election
Limited Liability Company
LLC filing as a corporation or partnership
IRC Section 754 Elections – for help, see: 26 U.S.C. 754, Manner of electing optional adjustment to basis of partnership property (Govinfo.gov)
Qualified Subchapter S Trust (QSST) election under IRC Section 1361(d)(2) (Govinfo.gov)
CARES Act or Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Net Operating Losses NOLs for Individual Estates and Trusts, Publication 536
Corporations, Publication 542 , page 14
Deduction for qualified business income
Employer credit for paid family leave - New tax credit for employers who provide paid family and medical leave, Publication 5327 PDF
Employer deduction for certain fringe benefits
Excise tax on investment income for private colleges and universities
Insurance industry reforms PDF
Unrelated business taxable income reforms

Corporations

Corporate consolidations, mergers or reorganizations – for help, see: Form 1122, Authorization and Consent of Subsidiary Corporation to be Included in a Consolidated Income Tax Return

Employers and employee benefits

General rule for calculating taxation of distributions of pensions and annuities
Health Savings Account (HSA)
Charities and Chapter 41 and 42 persons – for help, see: Form 4720, Return of Certain Excise Taxes on Charities and Other Persons Under Chapter 41 and 42 of the IRC
529 account funding for primary school education (Tax Reform)
Discharged student loans (Tax Reform)
Perez v IRS Commissioner (UStaxcourt.gov)
Medical and Dental Expenses, Publication 502

Boycotting income and foreign tax computation

International boycotting income – for help, see: Form 5713, International Boycott Report
Foreign tax credit - Special issues
Form 1116, Foreign Tax Credit (Individual, Estate, or Trust)
Form 4626, Alternative Minimum Tax
Form 5329, Additional Taxes on Qualified Plans (including IRAs) and Other Tax-Favored Accounts
Instructions for Form 1118, Foreign Tax Credit – Corporations PDF
Foreign Tax Credit for Individuals, Publication 514
Topic no. 556 Alternative Minimum Tax

International, corporations

Branch profits tax - foreign corporations with branch in the United States – for help, see: Form 1120F, U.S. Income Tax Return of a Foreign Corporation
Form 965, Inclusion of Deferred Foreign Income Upon Transition to Participation Exemption System
Form 1120-F, U.S. Income Tax Return of a Foreign Corporation
Form 5471, Information Return of U.S. Persons With Respect To Certain Foreign Corporations
Form 5472, Information Return of a 25% Foreign-Owned U.S. Corporation or a Foreign Corporation Engaged in a U.S. Trade or Business
Corporations, Publication 542
Foreign Sales Corporations (FSC or FISC) – See Form 1120-FSC, U.S. Income Tax Return of a Foreign Sales Corporation
IRC Sec 78 - Gross-up (increase dividend income) – for help, see: Form 1118, Foreign Tax Credit - Corporations
Form 1118, Foreign Tax Credit - Corporations
Federal Tax Guide for Employers in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Publication 80, Circular SS
Sub Part F - IRC 951 - IRC 964: Under limited circumstances foreign corporations do not pay U.S. tax on foreign sourced income – for help, see: 26 U.S. Code § 964, Miscellaneous provisions (Govinfo.gov)

International, general

Base erosion tax (Tax Reform) – for help, see: Form 8991, Tax on Base Erosion Payments of Taxpayers with Substantial Gross Receipts
Accounting Periods and Methods, Publication 538
Choose your form of business entity: Business structure
Expatriation tax
Relief procedures for certain former citizens
Form 8854, Initial and Annual Expatriation Statement
Form W-8 CE, Notice of Expatriation and Waiver of Treaty Benefits
Extraterritorial income exclusion – for help, see: Form 8873, Extraterritorial Income Exclusion
Do I need to file Form 8938, "Statement of Specified Foreign Financial Assets"?
FATCA information for individuals
Foreign Derived Intangible Income (FDII) (Tax Reform) – for help, see: Form 8993, Section 250 Deduction for Foreign-Derived Intangible Income and Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income
Foreign currency exchange rate gain – for help, see: 26 U.S. Code Section 988, Treatment of certain foreign currency transactions (Govinfo.gov)
Foreign trusts – for help, see: Form 1116, Foreign Tax Credit (Individual, Estate, or Trust)
Gig Economy tax center
Form SS-4, Application for Employer Identification Number (EIN)
Understanding Your EIN: Publication 1635 PDF
Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI) (Tax Reform) – for help, see: Form 8993, Section 250 Deduction for Foreign-Derived Intangible Income (FDII) and Global Intangible Low-Taxed Income (GILTI)
IRC Sec 78 - Gross-up (increase dividend income) – for help, see: 26 U.S.C. 78 - Gross up for deemed paid foreign tax credit
Passive foreign investment company – for help, see: Form 8621, Information Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund
Qualified electing funds – for help, see: Form 8621, Information Return by a Shareholder of a Passive Foreign Investment Company or Qualified Electing Fund
Private foundations
Chapter 11 bankruptcy - Reorganization
Schedule O (Form 5471), Organization or Reorganization of Foreign Corporation, and Acquisitions and Dispositions of its Stock PDF
Sec 367 rulings – IRC 367 – for help, see: 26 USC 367, Foreign Corporations (House.gov)
Questions and answers about reporting related to Section 965 on 2017 tax returns
Applying for tax exempt status
Checklist for starting a business
Claim the Research Tax Credit - Form 6765, Credit for Increasing Research Activities
Classification of taxpayers for U.S. tax purposes
How to apply for an Employer ID number
Retirement plans startup costs tax credit
Tax cuts and Jobs Act information for businesses
IRC Sec 482 – Adjustments – for help, see: IRM 4.11.5 Allocation of Income and Deductions under IRC 482
Transfer pricing - IRC 482 - IRS authority to change prices of goods/services sold between related parties if not arm's length transaction
Tax planning questions – for help, see: Year-round tax planning is for everyone, Publication 5349 PDF
US persons overseas starting a business – for help, see: Federal Tax Guide for Employers in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, American Samoa, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Publication 80, Circular SS
Discussion of Form 1042, Form 1042-S and Form 1042-T
Form W-8 IMY, Certificate of Foreign Intermediary, Foreign Flow-Through Entity or Certain U.S. Branches for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting
Form W-8 EXP, Certificate of Foreign Government or Other Foreign Organization for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting
Form W-8BEN-E, Certificate of Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Entities)
Form W-8 BEN, Certificate of Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Entities)
Form W8-CE, Notice of Expatriation and Waiver of Treaty Benefits PDF
U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens, Publication 519
W-8 BEN, Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Individuals)
Form W8-ECI, Certificate of Foreign Person's Claim That Income Is Effectively Connected with the Conduct of a Trade or Business in the United States

International, trusts other than grantor

Distributions to alien beneficiaries
Residential Rental Property, Publication 527
Know the tax facts about renting out residential property
Material participation calculation – for help, see: Passive Activity and At-Risk Rules, Publication 925

Estate and trust laws vary by state. Seek state or professional guidance.

Employer ID numbers
Form 706, United States Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return
Form 1041, U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts
Publication 559, Survivors, Executors and Administrators
Topic no. 311 Power of Attorney information
Bankruptcy estates – for help, see: Publication 908, Bankruptcy Tax Guide
Charitable trusts, calculations for – for help, see: 26 CFR section 53.4947-1 Application of tax (Govinfo.gov)
Distributions to alien beneficiaries – for help, see: Form 1041, U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts
Net operating losses – for help, see: Publication 536, Net Operating Losses NOLs for Individual Estates and Trusts
Ownership of assets and their valuation – for help, see: Publication 551, Basis of Assets PDF
Rabbi trusts (taxability and establishment of the trust) – for help, see: Rabbi Trusts, Notice 2000-56 PDF
Electing Small Business Trusts (ESBT) – Assistors will only answer questions that can be addressed by the information in the 1041 instructions

Our telephone assistors can't help you with these forms and we can't offer line-by-line help with any form. To get help, contact a tax professional or attorney or check the help features of your electronic filing software.

Individuals, general form

6251, Alternative Minimum Tax

Return to Forms

Business, general forms

730, Monthly Tax Return for Wagers
1128, Application to Adopt, Change or Retain a Tax Year

Depreciation and sale of business forms

4562, Depreciation and Amortization (Including Information on Listed Property)
4797, Sale of Business Property
6252, Installment Sale Income
8824, Like-Kind Exchanges

Energy form

5695, Residential Energy Credits

Health care form

8994, Employer Credit for Paid Family and Medical Leave (Tax Reform)

Corporations, exempt organizations and partnerships forms

966, Corporate Dissolution or Liquidation
970, Application to Use LIFO Inventory Method
972, Consent of Shareholder to Include Specific Amount in Gross Income
973, Corporation Claim for Deduction for Consent Dividends
976, Claim for Deficiency Dividends Deductions by a Personal Holding Company
1066, U.S. Real Estate Mortgage Investment Conduit (REMIC) Income Tax Return
1120-C, U.S. Income Tax Return for Cooperative Associations
1120 Schedule H, Section 280H Limitation for a Personal Service Corporation (PSC)
1120 Schedule N, Foreign Operations of U.S. Corporation
1120 Schedule PH, U.S. Personal Holding Company (PHC) Tax
1120-RIC, U.S. Income Tax Return for Regulated Investment Companies
1120-SF, U.S. Income Tax Return for Settlement Funds
1128, Application to Adopt, Change, or Retain a Tax Year
2032, Contract Coverage Under Title II of the Social Security Act
2438, Undistributed Capital Gains Tax Return
2439, Notice to Shareholder of Undistributed Long-Term Capital Gains
3115, Application for Change in Accounting Method
4626, Alternative Minimum Tax Corporations (Tax Reform) PDF
4678A, Election to Be Treated as an Interest Charge DISC
5452, Corporate Report of Non-dividend Distributions
5471, Schedule J PDF
5471, Schedule M PDF
5471, Schedule N PDF
5471, Schedule O PDF
6069, Return of Excise Tax on Excess Contributions to Black Lung Benefit Trust Under Section 4953 and Computation of Section 192 Deduction
8308, Report of a Sale or Exchange of Certain Partnership Interest
8827, Credit for Prior Year Minimum Tax - Corporations

Employers and employee benefits forms

5300, Application for Determination for Employee Benefit Plan
5500, Annual Return/Report of Employee Benefit Plan, including all 5500 series and schedules

International forms

637, Application for Registration (for certain excise tax activities)
1118, Foreign Tax Credit – Corporations
8848, Consent to Extend the Time to Assess the Branch Profits Tax Under Regulations Sections 1.884 - 2(a) and (c)
8865, Return of U.S. Persons with Respect to Certain Foreign Partnerships
8288, U.S. Withholding Tax Return for Disposition by Foreign Persons of U.S. Real Property Interests

Partnerships with foreign partners

8804, Annual Return for Partnership Withholding Tax (Section 1446)
8805, Foreign Partner's Information Statement of Section 1446 Withholding Tax
8813, Partnership Withholding Tax Payment Voucher (Section 1446)

Trusts other than grantor

1116, Foreign Tax Credit (Individual, Estate, or Trust)
1041, U.S. Income Tax Return for Estates and Trusts

Rentals and residential form

8582, Passive Activity Loss Limitations, portions unrelated to the taxpayer's rental property

Tax professionals form

23, Application for Enrollment to Practice Before the Internal Revenue Service

Trusts forms

706, United States Estate (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return
709, United States Gift (and Generation-Skipping Transfer) Tax Return
990, Return of Organization Exempt from Income Tax series
1041-N, U.S. Income Tax Return for Electing Alaska Native Settlement (Tax Reform)
3520, Annual Return to Report Transactions with Foreign Trusts and Receipt of Certain Foreign Gifts
3520-A, Annual Information Return of Foreign Trust with a U.S. Owner

Tax professionals

Tax professionals who need to request an Employer Identification Number (EIN) for a taxpayer should follow the instructions in IRM 21.7.13.3.8, Receiving EIN Applications Form Field Compliance .

IRS revenue officers and revenue agents

IRS Revenue Officers and Revenue Agents looking for account related inquiries should request technical support from their own Operating Division.

See IRM 21.1.1-1

Be Ready: IRS Announces Significant Updates to Research Tax Credit for 2024

The IRS announced the release of a revised draft Form 6765, Credit for Increasing Research Activities, on June 21, 2024.

While the changes are generally seen as improvements over the prior draft the IRS proposed last year, the Form 6765 changes introduce more comprehensive reporting requirements, significantly increasing the workload for taxpayers. These updates reflect the IRS's commitment to enhancing tax administration but also indicate a shift towards more detailed documentation of research activities.

This marks a significant change in the approach to claiming research tax credits, necessitating careful attention and adaptation from taxpayers.

Background on Form 6765 Changes

The initial draft of the revised Form 6765 was released on September 15, 2023, introducing a new Business Component Detail section and various other changes aimed at enhancing the reporting process.

After soliciting and reviewing feedback, the IRS made several adjustments, notably reducing the number of business components that must be reported. Now, taxpayers are only required to report components that account for 80% of their total Qualified Research Expenses (QRE), up to a maximum of 50 components.

This approach, while streamlined, still demands a significant amount of data collection and reporting from taxpayers, marking a notable increase in effort from previous years. The revised Section G of the form will be optional for all filers for the tax year 2024, which provides a transition period for taxpayers to adjust to the new requirements. For the tax year 2025, this section will become mandatory, with the streamlined requirements firmly in place.

Exemptions from New Reporting Requirements

Certain companies will be exempt from some of the new reporting requirements. Specifically:

Qualified Small Business (QSB) taxpayers, as defined under Internal Revenue Code Section 41(h)(1) and (2), who elect to claim a reduced payroll tax credit, will find Section G optional.
Companies with total QREs of $1.5 million or less and gross receipts of $50 million or less, as determined under Section 448(c)(3), when claiming a research credit on an originally filed return, will also not be required to complete Section G.

These exemptions are designed to alleviate the burden and streamline the compliance process for smaller businesses.

What’s Required in the New Form 6765 Sections?

The revised draft of form 6765 introduces several new sections designed to capture a comprehensive view of research activities:, section e—other information.

Number of business components worked on during the tax year
Amount of officer wages
Acquisitions and dispositions
Whether any of the QREs were determined under the Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 730 directive

Section F—Qualified Research Expenses Summary

An expense breakdown of:

Total wages
Rental or lease cost of computers
Contract research expenses

These line items have been moved from Section A and B on prior year forms.

Section G—Business Component Information

Controlled group member information and activity codes
Business component names and types
Software designations
Information sought to be discovered
Wage expenses broken out between direct research, direct supervision, and direct support by business component
Cost of supplies, rental or lease cost of computers, and contract research expenses by business component

What Does This Mean for Filing R&D Tax Credits for the 2024 Tax Year?

Companies planning to claim the R&D credit in the 2024 tax year must be ready to complete these three new sections of the form when filing their tax returns. While Section G will be optional for tax year 2024, it’s crucial for taxpayers to understand its requirements ahead of its mandatory implementation in the following year.

The changes, although designed to streamline some aspects, generally increase the complexity and volume of information that must be reported.

Response to Feedback

The IRS has incorporated feedback from taxpayers into these revisions, which has been crucial in shaping the less-burdensome aspects of the new requirements. However, despite these efforts to reduce complexity, the overall increase in reporting obligations can still pose significant challenges for many taxpayers.

The IRS is expected to release new instructions to clarify the type of business component, definitions for officers, controlled group reporting, and business component names.

Updates to Refund Claim Requirements

Parallel to the changes in Form 6765, the IRS also revised the reporting requirements for refund claims involving the research credit. Effective June 18, 2024, the IRS reduced the documentation needed when filing a refund claim.

Notably, the requirement to provide the names of individuals performing each research activity and the specific information each individual sought to discover has been waived, although this information may still be requested during an audit.

While this update reduces some of the administrative complexities associated with filing refund claims, it still requires taxpayers to identify all business components related to their Section 41 research credit claim, detail all research activities performed, and provide total qualified expenses for employee wages, supplies, and contract research for the claim year.

Additional Resources

Tax Credits & Incentive Services
R&D Tax Credit Services

The material appearing in this communication is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal, accounting, tax, or investment advice or opinion provided by Moss Adams LLP or its affiliates. This information is not intended to create, and receipt does not constitute, a legal relationship, including, but not limited to, an accountant-client relationship. Although these materials have been prepared by professionals, the user should not substitute these materials for professional services, and should seek advice from an independent advisor before acting on any information presented. Moss Adams LLP and its affiliates assume no obligation to provide notification of changes in tax laws or other factors that could affect the information provided.

Register now for your free, tailored, daily legal newsfeed service.

Find out more about Lexology or get in touch by visiting our About page.

European Court of Justice Revives €13 Billion State Aid Ruling Against Apple in a Landmark Decision

In a crucial legal victory for the European Commission , the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has upheld the Commission’s decision that Apple must repay up to €13 billion in back taxes to Ireland. This ruling, issued in September 2024, reaffirms the Commission’s original 2016 judgment, marking a significant step in the European Union ‘s effort to crack down on favorable tax arrangements for multinational corporations. The full ECJ statement can be accessed here .

Background: The legal battle, one of the highest-profile state aid cases in Europe, stems from a 2014 investigation into Apple’s tax deals with Ireland. The European Commission concluded that Ireland had granted the tech giant unlawful tax benefits over two decades, allowing Apple to substantially reduce its effective tax rate. In 2016, the Commission ordered Apple to repay €13 billion in unpaid taxes, asserting that the arrangement violated EU state aid rules, which prohibit unfair advantages that distort competition within the bloc.

Both Apple and the Irish government challenged the ruling, and in 2020, the EU General Court annulled the Commission’s decision, siding with Apple. However, following the Commission’s appeal, the ECJ has now overturned that verdict, reinstating the requirement for Apple to repay the substantial tax sum.

Implications: The ECJ’s judgment sends a strong signal to multinational corporations operating within the EU: favorable tax deals that could undermine fair competition will not be tolerated. This decision underscores the EU’s determination to enforce tax compliance and maintain a level playing field in the Single Market , particularly for powerful tech giants that have benefited from complex cross-border tax arrangements.

The ruling may also set an example for future cases, encouraging the European Commission in its ongoing efforts to challenge tax avoidance and state aid violations across member states. Businesses operating in the EU, especially those leveraging preferential tax regimes, will need to reassess their strategies and ensure that their arrangements comply with EU competition law.

For Ireland, the decision reignites a politically sensitive issue. While the government has stated it will begin the process of transferring the disputed funds from escrow, it remains steadfast in its position that Apple was not granted preferential treatment. The broader implications for Ireland’s tax policies—historically a cornerstone of its appeal to global corporations—are still unfolding, but the ruling could lead to increased scrutiny of similar tax arrangements.

At Gecić Law, we provide unparalleled legal expertise to help you conquer the complexities of today's business environment. From regulatory compliance to strategic advisory, our dedicated team is here to guide you. Explore our thought leadership and latest updates on Lexology to see how we can make a difference for your enterprise. Discover the cutting-edge legal insights and solutions offered to assist you in navigating complex regulatory landscapes across various sectors and areas of law, delivering strategic advice tailored to your needs. Feel free to visit our website geciclaw.com or contact us directly at [email protected] to find out more about our services.

Filed under

European Union

Organisations

European Commission
European Court of Justice

Related practical resources PRO

Checklist Checklist: Considerations prior to issuing court proceedings (UK)
How-to guide How-to guide: The legal framework for resolving disputes in England and Wales (UK)
Checklist Checklist: Managing a dawn raid

Related research hubs

Trillions of dollars of fossil fuel finance routed via tax havens, study says

Trillions of dollars of bank finance to fossil fuel companies is being routed via opaque financial centers in several countries, including the Netherlands, research published on Wednesday showed.

The study by Tax Justice Network, which campaigns against tax havens, highlights a lack of transparency in funding for energy companies.

The study examined 60 global banks’ $6.9-trillion of syndicated financing of fossil fuel companies, such as coal miners or shipping firms between 2016 to 2023, including loans, credit lines and bonds.

“We’re raising the alarm on banks and fossil fuel companies greenlaundering their finances to hide how much money they’re truly putting into fossil fuels,” said Franziska Mager, one of the report’s authors.

The Netherlands has introduced reforms to try to shed its image as a conduit for money flows to countries with very low taxation rates.

A spokesperson for the Dutch finance ministry said it had done much to combat tax avoidance, targeting money flows through the country and countering “abusive structures,” prompting a decrease of money going to low-tax-states.

The syndicated finance highlighted in the study represents a small fraction of overall bank credit to the fossil fuel industry but the study’s authors said it shows how the full extent of finance for fossil fuels is being hidden.

Major banks have come under increasing pressure from investors and environmental campaigners to step up cuts to fossil fuel financing.

Europe’s climate change monitoring service said last week the world has had its warmest northern hemisphere summer since records began and extreme weather will become more intense if countries do not cut planet-heating emissions.

Greenhouse gas emissions from burning fossil fuels are the main cause of climate change.

Report an editorial error

Report a technical issue

Follow related authors and topics

Banking and Financial Services Industry

Authors and topics you follow will be added to your personal news feed in Following .

Interact with The Globe

Testimony: Lessons for the 2025 Tax Policy Debate

Note : The following is the testimony of Daniel Bunn , President & CEO of Tax A tax is a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities. Foundation, before the US Senate Committee on Finance hearing on September 12, 2024, titled, “The 2025 Tax Policy Debate and Tax Avoidance Strategies.”

Chairman Wyden, Ranking Member Crapo, and members of the committee, thank you for the opportunity to discuss the upcoming 2025 tax debate and tax avoidance strategies with you. My name is Daniel Bunn, and I am President of the Tax Foundation, a nonprofit think tank dedicated to studying tax policy at all levels of government.

The stakes for next year’s expiring tax provisions are quite high. If Congress does nothing, then 62 percent of households will see their taxes go up in January of 2026. However, the proposals from both sides of the political aisle raise questions about policy design, fiscal impact, and economic results. A multi-trillion-dollar gap separates the parties’ positions on major tax policy questions.

Concerns about avoidance should be bipartisan, and, in my view, motivate policy in the direction of a simpler, more neutral tax code rather than one with a litany of deductions, credits, and provisions for special interests.

In this testimony, I will focus on three key ideas that should be central in the upcoming debate: simplicity, neutrality, and trade-offs. While the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) moved in the right direction, the tax code remains a daunting morass of expiring, confusing, and duplicative provisions. Simplification can better deliver relief to taxpayers without breaking the bank or acting as a boon to the industry of tax advisors and planners. Neutrality should guide how we set the tax code up for growth to keep the US ahead of its competitors.

While second nature for this body, evaluating trade-offs takes on a new meaning with our current fiscal situation. Economic growth is essential to keep our debt load under control, and tax policy provides tools to achieve both growth and revenue. Economic analysis shows us that some options create stronger growth, more opportunity, and greater benefits for Americans than others. I will discuss some of those today, and my colleagues and I at the Tax Foundation would welcome the opportunity to provide further help as you consider various policy options in the coming months. While certain tax provisions have become ingrained in Americans’ way of thinking, my hope is that prioritizing simplicity and neutrality in the tax code will ultimately become commonly understood as most beneficial to Americans.

Simplification Makes Filing Easier for Millions of Americans

Without congressional action, your constituents will feel the negative impact of next year’s tax expirations immediately. Tax withholding Withholding is the income an employer takes out of an employee’s paycheck and remits to the federal, state, and/or local government. It is calculated based on the amount of income earned, the taxpayer’s filing status, the number of allowances claimed, and any additional amount of the employee requests. tables will adjust, take-home pay will shrink, and tax filing will get more complicated and more expensive for millions of Americans. As nearly all individual changes in the TCJA expire just 15 months from now, exploring what worked well can help guide further efforts to simplify the tax code.

The expansion of the standard deduction The standard deduction reduces a taxpayer’s taxable income by a set amount determined by the government. It was nearly doubled for all classes of filers by the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ( TCJA ) as an incentive for taxpayers not to itemize deductions when filing their federal income taxes . and higher threshold for the alternative minimum tax (AMT) were the most powerful provisions that simplified tax filing for individuals.

The Tax Foundation, using IRS estimates, calculates that these changes to the AMT and the standard deduction would save taxpayers up to $10 billion annually in compliance costs. [1] However, other TCJA provisions, such as the Section 199A deduction, were predicted to increase compliance costs. There remains significant room for improvement.

Consolidating income tax brackets A tax bracket is the range of incomes taxed at given rates, which typically differ depending on filing status. In a progressive individual or corporate income tax system, rates rise as income increases. There are seven federal individual income tax brackets; the federal corporate income tax system is flat . ; further limiting deductions, credits, and exemptions; and lowering marginal rates are a good recipe for tax simplification. Tax Foundation analysis shows that further work toward simplification could eliminate all itemized deductions to cover the revenue reductions from lower rates and a larger standard deduction. [2]

A larger standard deduction, lower marginal rates, and expanded child tax credit A tax credit is a provision that reduces a taxpayer’s final tax bill, dollar-for-dollar. A tax credit differs from deductions and exemptions, which reduce taxable income, rather than the taxpayer’s tax bill directly. were partially paid for by eliminating personal exemptions and limiting itemized deductions. These changes led to nearly 90 percent of taxpayers claiming the standard deduction in 2018, whereas only around 70 percent claimed it in 2016. [3]

Limiting itemized deductions played a crucial role in tax reform, and I don’t need to tell the members of this committee how contentious they continue to be. It is important to place those limitations in context, so we can think about future avenues for simplification. For example, the $10,000 limit on the state and local tax (SALT) deduction and the limit on mortgage interest deduction The mortgage interest deduction is an itemized deduction for interest paid on home mortgages. It reduces households’ taxable incomes and, consequently, their total taxes paid. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ( TCJA ) reduced the amount of principal and limited the types of loans that qualify for the deduction. for home values above $750,000, along with other changes to itemized deductions, raised $668 billion in the TCJA. [4]

However, placing that change in the context of the increased AMT, a parallel individual income tax An individual income tax (or personal income tax) is levied on the wages, salaries, investments, or other forms of income an individual or household earns. The U.S. imposes a progressive income tax where rates increase with income. The Federal Income Tax was established in 1913 with the ratification of the 16th Amendment . Though barely 100 years old, individual income taxes are the largest source of tax revenue in the U.S. system, tells an interesting story. As you may know, if a taxpayer falls under the AMT, he or she is not allowed any SALT deduction.

In tax year 2015, 10.3 million taxpayers had to calculate AMT liability, and 5 million actually paid it. [5] In 2016, among taxpayers owing AMT, 89 percent earned under $500,000. [6] AMT filers disproportionately filed in California , New York , and New Jersey . [7] Now, only 5.7 million taxpayers calculate AMT, with only 220,000 owing AMT liability. [8] Instead of millions of taxpayers complying with two tax codes and receiving no SALT deduction, they now save hours filing and can deduct

Further work on the SALT deduction cap should be done as many state-level pass-through entity taxes act as workarounds to that cap. Tax Foundation modeling shows that a permanent SALT deduction cap would increase federal revenues by about $1.2 trillion from 2026 to 2033 and nearly $1.4 trillion if state-level workarounds are ended. [9]

The US Tax Code Remains Progressive

The US tax code has remained highly progressive, even after the TCJA In 2021, the top 1 percent of taxpayers paid 45.8 percent of all federal income taxes while they earned only 26.3 percent of all income. The bottom 50 percent of taxpayers paid 2.3 percent of all federal income taxes. [10]

An even wider lens view of the tax and transfer system in the US shows that the bottom quintile of households have an effective tax rate of negative 127 percent, while the highest quintile pays an effective tax rate of 30.7 percent. [11] To me, that seems like a sufficiently progressive tax A progressive tax is one where the average tax burden increases with income. High-income families pay a disproportionate share of the tax burden, while low- and middle-income taxpayers shoulder a relatively small tax burden. and transfer system.

The progressivity of the US tax code also raises questions about how much additional revenue can be squeezed from high-income earners if policymakers are unwilling to broaden the tax base The tax base is the total amount of income, property, assets, consumption, transactions, or other economic activity subject to taxation by a tax authority. A narrow tax base is non-neutral and inefficient. A broad tax base reduces tax administration costs and allows more revenue to be raised at lower rates. and simplify the tax code in a way that increases neutrality and raises revenue.

Though some may think targeting upper-income earners is a fiscally responsible way to address the deficit while tackling inequalities, this is unlikely to succeed on its own.

Brian Riedl from the Manhattan Institute analyzed several policies that would increase taxes on high-income earners and wealthy individuals and measured them against our annual deficits. Even with aggressive hikes, policies focused only on high-income earners and the wealthy would close less than one-third of our annual budget deficits. [12]

This means that closing that budget gap would require significant spending reductions or broadening the lens for additional revenue raisers beyond those in higher earnings or wealth categories.

One policy the Chairman has focused some of his legislative efforts on, and that has been a part of presidential budgets in recent years, is a tax on unrealized capital gains. This approach would make the tax code decidedly more complex, raise the tax burden on saving and entrepreneurship, and introduce complicated new reporting and filing requirements.

Neutral Tax Policy Supports Business Investment

In 2023, Tax Foundation released its “Growth and Opportunity” tax plan. Over the 10-year budget window, the plan increases tax revenue, grows the economy, and takes dramatic steps toward a truly neutral tax code. [13]

In the context of less fundamental reforms, the Tax Foundation has long focused on promoting the valuable policy of full and immediate expensing for business investments. Making 100 percent bonus depreciation Bonus depreciation allows firms to deduct a larger portion of certain “short-lived” investments in new or improved technology, equipment, or buildings in the first year. Allowing businesses to write off more investments partially alleviates a bias in the tax code and incentivizes companies to invest more, which, in the long run, raises worker productivity, boosts wages, and creates more jobs. permanent and canceling amortization for research and development investments are the quickest ways to ensure the neutral treatment of investment. But we need to go far beyond those policies if we want to orient our tax code for economic growth.

Our tax code should treat all business investment neutrally. We believe that businesses have the know-how to decide when and where to invest without the tax code standing in the way. History cautions us against a code that micromanages business investment as it leads to a less dynamic economy.

A lower, 21 percent corporate tax rate supports business investment in the US and allows us to compete more effectively for new investments. Domestic companies are more likely to start projects or invest more than they otherwise would have. Critically, American workers and families benefit when businesses invest more: their wages increase and more jobs are created.

One hundred percent bonus depreciation Depreciation is a measurement of the “useful life” of a business asset, such as machinery or a factory, to determine the multiyear period over which the cost of that asset can be deducted from taxable income . Instead of allowing businesses to deduct the cost of investments immediately (i.e., full expensing ), depreciation requires deductions to be taken over time, reducing their value and discouraging investment. is the most pro-growth element of the TCJA, providing the most growth for its revenue cost.

The TCJA fell short of truly creating tax parity across all forms of business. The ultimate solution is integrating the corporate income tax A corporate income tax (CIT) is levied by federal and state governments on business profits. Many companies are not subject to the CIT because they are taxed as pass-through businesses , with income reportable under the individual income tax . so that all businesses are subject to a single layer of tax. Former Chairman Orrin Hatch made great strides in finding ways the US could implement such a system. [17] While the pass-through deduction attempts to achieve equal treatment, true parity is best accomplished through integration where all businesses are under a uniform tax treatment. [18]

While the Inflation Inflation is when the general price of goods and services increases across the economy, reducing the purchasing power of a currency and the value of certain assets. The same paycheck covers less goods, services, and bills. It is sometimes referred to as a “ hidden tax ,” as it leaves taxpayers less well-off due to higher costs and “bracket creep,” while increasing the government’s spending power. Reduction Act improved neutrality in some ways (e.g., by consolidating energy production credits into a new, technologically neutral credit), it moved the tax code away from neutrality in many more ways. The new corporate alternative minimum tax and suite of green energy tax credits pick winners and losers. They are especially complicated provisions, requiring volumes of Treasury regulations and creating widespread uncertainty for taxpayers.

Perhaps the clearest picture is painted by the changing scores of the legislation from the Joint Committee on Tax (JCT) as regulations have been finalized. In August 2022, immediately after passage, JCT estimated the green energy tax credits would cost $271 billion over the next 10 years. In May 2023, less than a year later, JCT increased that estimate to $536 billion (and this “preliminary” score is still the most recent estimate JCT has provided). [19] New Treasury guidance explains much of the change, and guidance continues to roll out more than two years after the law was enacted. We at the Tax Foundation know that tax modeling is a tough job, but that job becomes nearly impossible when estimating the impacts of such novel and complicated provisions that grant so much authority to the Treasury Secretary for interpretation and implementation.

	JCT Score (August 2022), 2023-2031	Preliminary Revised JCT Score (May 2023), 2023-2031	Net Change
Credit for Electricity from Renewables (Section 45)	$51.10	$63.60	$12.50
Modification of Energy Credit (Section 48)	$14	$60.10	$46.10
Clean Vehicle Credits	$11.10	$69.40	$58.30
Advanced Manufacturing Production Credit (Section 45X)	$30.60	$132.50	$101.90
Carbon Sequestration Credit (Section 45Q)	$3.20	$17.40	$14.20
Clean Fuel Production Credit (Section 45Z)	$2.90	$7.40	$4.50
Clean Electricity Investment Credit (48E)	$50.90	$71.70	$20.80
Other	$107.20	$114.30	$7.10

Another non-neutral and complicated feature of the Inflation Reduction Act is the corporate alternative minimum tax (CAMT), designed to tax the financial statement income of US companies reporting more than $1 billion of income on average over the last three years. That may sound simple, but it has proven very difficult for the Treasury Department and the IRS to implement, as final regulations have still not been released, and cumbersome for taxpayers to comply with. In a recent survey of large companies targeted by the CAMT, most companies indicated they do not expect to pay additional tax under the CAMT rules, yet have incurred considerable expense complying with it, including by calculating CAMT liability and determining if they are in scope. Several companies pointed to the CAMT as a major reason their compliance costs have risen in recent years. [20]

While working to improve the neutrality of the tax code, policymakers should also examine how many tax-exempt entities compete directly with for-profit, taxable entities. My colleague, Scott Hodge, has written extensively on this issue. The tax code clearly takes sides when it allows for-profit, taxable entities to compete with non-profit, tax-exempt organizations that earn substantial amounts of business-like income. [21]

US Tax Code Must Balance Fiscal Responsibility with Economic Growth

When considering provisions for 2025, comparing their “bang for the buck” can help policymakers balance being fiscally responsible with promoting growth. The Tax Foundation has ranked commonly discussed provisions by their ability to produce growth per revenue lost. Highly ranked provisions can actually reduce the debt-to-GDP ratio over the long run when accounting for the impacts on economic growth. [22]

This bang-for-the-buck analysis provides a useful litmus test for policies when the main objective is growth. However, it does not capture other benefits, like simplification, that would result from eliminating the AMT and increasing the standard deduction.

Bang-for-the-buck analysis also helps illuminate where revenue reductions will be most helpful in boosting growth. The TCJA was clearly a pro-growth reform, supporting business investment and the repatriation Tax repatriation is the process by which multinational companies bring overseas earnings back to the home country. Prior to the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act ( TCJA ), the U.S. tax code created major disincentives for U.S. companies to repatriate their earnings. Changes from the TCJA eliminate these disincentives. of foreign earnings, while many valuable assets also returned to the US tax base.

Actual tax revenues surpassed projections TCJA lessons for the 2024 tax debate

Even with these positive impacts, the TCJA has not paid for itself, though the tax system still raised historically average revenue after its passage. Looking at Congressional Budget Office (CBO) baseline estimates before and after the TCJA, we can reasonably say that revenues have remained within historical norms and surpassed the Tax Foundation’s own original estimates for revenue. [23]

However, the upcoming expirations have a much heftier price tag for a multitude of reasons, and simple extension will not produce significant economic growth compared to its cost

consider altering the corporate alternative minimum tax and the green energy credits with an eye toward simplification and fiscal responsibility.

The TCJA moved the tax code toward simplicity and neutrality in many ways, and away from them in others. The coming months will be ripe with opportunity to simplify taxes for millions of taxpayers, orient the tax code for growth, and ensure a stable fiscal trajectory for the United States . Policymakers have the benefit of experience and data to approach these opportunities wisely, and the Tax Foundation will be standing by to help. Taking the right lessons from previous efforts for tax reform can help ensure that the next chapter of tax reform is better yet.

Thank you again for having me, and I look forward to your questions.

Stay informed on the tax policies impacting you.

Subscribe to get insights from our trusted experts delivered straight to your inbox.

[1] Erica York and Alex Muresianu, “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Simplified the Tax Filing Process for Millions of Households,” Tax Foundation, Aug. 7, 2018, https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/the-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act-simplified-the-tax-filing-process-for-millions-of-americans/.

[2] Erica York, Alex Durante, Huaqun Li, Garrett Watson, and William McBride, “Options for Navigating the 2025 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Expirations,” Tax Foundation, May 7, 2024, https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/2025-tax-reform-options-tax-cuts-and-jobs-act/.

[3] Alex Muresianu, “How Did the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Simplify the Tax Code,” Tax Foundation, Aug. 7, 2024, https://taxfoundation.org/blog/tcja-complexity-compliance/.

[4] The Joint Committee on Taxation, “Estimated Budget Effects Of the Conference Agreement for H.R. 1, The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” Dec. 18, 2017, https://www.jct.gov/publications/2017/jcx-67-17/ .

[5] Erica York and Alex Muresianu, “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Simplified the Tax Filing Process for Millions of Households.”

[6] Alex Muresianu, “How Did the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Simplify the Tax Code.”

[7] Scott Eastman, “The Alternative Minimum Tax Still Burdens Taxpayers with Compliance Costs,” Tax Foundation, Apr. 4, 2019, https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/alternative-minimum-tax-burden-compliance/.

[8] Scott Eastman, “The Alternative Minimum Tax Still Burdens Taxpayers with Compliance Costs.”

[9] Garrett Watson, “Policymakers Must Weigh the Revenue, Distributional, and Economic Trade-Offs of SALT Deduction Cap Design Options,” Tax Foundation, Dec. 7, 2023.

[10] Erica York, “Summary of the Latest Federal Income Tax Data, 2024 Update,” Tax Foundation, Mar. 13, 2024, https://taxfoundation.org/data/all/federal/latest-federal-income-tax-data-2024/.

[11] Timothy Vermeer, Alex Durante, Erica York, and Jared Walczak, “America’s Progressive Tax and Transfer System: Federal, State, and Local Tax and Transfer Distributions,” Tax Foundation, Mar. 30, 2023, https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/who-pays-taxes-federal-state-local-tax-burden-transfers/.

[12] Brian Riedl, “The Limits of Taxing the Rich,” Manhattan Institute, Sep. 21, 2023, https://manhattan.institute/article/the-limits-of-taxing-the-rich.

[13] William McBride, Huaqun Li, Garrett Watson, Alex Durante, Erica York, and Alex Muresianu, “Details and Analysis of a Tax Reform Plan for Growth and Opportunity,” Tax Foundation, Jun. 29, 2023, https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/growth-opportunity-us-tax-reform-plan/.

[14] Erica York, Huaqun Li, Daniel Bunn, Garrett Watson, and Cody Kallen, “The Economic, Revenue, and Distributional Effects of Permanent 100 Percent Bonus Depreciation,” Tax Foundation, Aug. 30, 2022, https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/permanent-100-percent-bonus-depreciation-effects/.

[15] Gabriel Chodorow-Reich, Owen M. Zidar, and Eric Zwick, “Lessons from the Biggest Business Tax Cut in US History,” National Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper 326272, July 2024, https://www.nber.org/papers/w32672.

[16] E. Mark Curtis, Daniel G. Garrett, Eric C. Ohrn, Kevin A. Roberts, and Juan Carlos Suarez Serrato, “Capital Investment and Labor Demand,” National Bureau of Economic Research, Working Paper 29485, November 2021, https://www.nber.org/papers/w29485.

[17] Senator Orrin Hatch, “Statement at Finance Hearing on Corporate Integration,” United States Committee on Finance, May 17, 2016, https://www.finance.senate.gov/chairmans-news/hatch-statement-at-finance-hearing-on-corporate-integration.

[18] Alex Durante, “Higher Taxes Under House Ways and Means Plan Emphasize Need for Corporate Integration,” Tax Foundation, Oct. 13, 2021, https://taxfoundation.org/blog/corporate-integration-tax-reform/.

[19] See Table 2 in William McBride, Alex Muresianu, Erica York, and Michael Hartt, “Inflation Reduction Act One Year After Enactment,” Tax Foundation, Aug. 16, 2023, https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/inflation-reduction-act-taxes/.

[20] William McBride, “Results of a Survey Measuring Business Tax Compliance Costs,” Tax Foundation, Sep. 4, 2024, https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/us-business-tax-compliance-costs-survey/.

[21] Scott Hodge, “Reining in America’s $3.3 Trillion Tax-Exempt Economy,” Tax Foundation, Jun. 18, 2024, https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/501c3-nonprofit-organization-tax-exempt/ .

[22] Erica York, Alex Durante, Huaqun Li, Garrett Watson, and William McBride, “Options for Navigating the 2025 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act Expirations.”

[23] Daniel Bunn, “How Have Federal Revenues Evolved since the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act?,” Tax Foundation, Jul. 10, 2024, https://taxfoundation.org/blog/2017-tax-law-revenue/.

[24] Erica York, Garrett Watson, Alex Durante, Huaqun Li, Peter Van Ness, and William McBride, “Details and Analysis of Making the 2017 Tax Reforms Permanent,” Tax Foundation, Nov. 8, 2023, https://taxfoundation.org/research/all/federal/making-2017-tax-reform-permanent/.

[25] Alex Muresianu, “When Looking to Reform Inflation Reduction Act, Start with EV Credits,” Tax Foundation, Apr. 11, 2024, https://taxfoundation.org/blog/ev-tax-credits-inflation-reduction-act/.

IMAGES

Overview of Sources & Research Guides
(PDF) A Conceptual Research Paper on Tax Compliance and Its Relationships
Top 10 Tax Topics In 2022
Contemporary Issues in Tax Research (Volume 3)
Top 50 Taxation Law Dissertation Topics Hotly Trending in 2021
TOP-10 Tax Research Topics

VIDEO

Bloomberg Law: Tax
Taxes for the Masses
Tax Technology Insights #37
Introduction to Tax Research Discussion Problems
Tax Technology Insights #18
OECD Tax Administration Series: A spotlight on global trends in tax administrations

COMMENTS

50+ Focused Taxation Research Topics For Your Dissertation
50+ Focused Taxation Research Topics For Your Dissertation. Published by Ellie Cross at December 29th, 2022 , Revised On May 2, 2024. A thorough understanding of taxation involves drawing from multiple sources to understand its goals, strategies, techniques, standards, applications, and many types. Tax dissertations require extensive research ...
Practical highlights of recent tax research
Recent research studies published in tax and accounting journals may provide valuable insights to tax practitioners. One study shows that the most challenging client-practitioner interactions occur when the client demands an overly aggressive position to reduce taxes. Researchers found that the required minimum distribution rules have a ...
Tax Foundation
The Tax Foundation is the nation's leading nonpartisan tax policy 501 (c) (3) nonprofit. For over 80 years, has remained the same: to improve lives through tax policies that lead to greater economic growth and opportunity. is a world where the tax code doesn't stand in the way of success. Every day, our team of trusted experts strives ...
Taxation Articles, Research, & Case Studies
by Martha Lagace. The notion of levying higher taxes on tall people—an idea offered largely tongue in cheek—presents an ideal way to highlight the shortcomings of current tax policy and how to make it better. Harvard Business School professor Matthew C. Weinzierl looks at modern trends in taxation.
Tax Policy Research
In each of its main research areas, the Tax Foundation produces timely and high-quality data, research, and analysis that influence the tax debate toward policies that are simple, transparent, neutral, and stable. Meet Our Experts Our experts are continuously analyzing the day's most relevant tax policy topics and are relied upon routinely for presentations, […]
All Research and Data
The Tax Foundation is the world's leading independent tax policy 501(c)(3) nonprofit. For over 80 years, our mission has remained the same: to improve lives through tax policies that lead to greater economic growth and opportunity. Our Center for Federal Tax Policy, Center for State Tax Policy, and Center for Global Tax Policy each produce timely and high-quality research and analysis that ...
Tax research tools for tax professionals
Why choose Checkpoint Catalyst. Adapt to a changing business tax landscape and never miss an important detail with powerful insight into a broad collection of complex tax topics. Authored by tax experts and created specifically for the web, Thomson Reuters Checkpoint Catalyst gives you tax research tools and practical guidance for resolving tax ...
Reliable and timely tax insights with Bloomberg Tax Research
The best tax strategy requires the best research platform. You deserve accurate, up-to-date tax information that makes minimizing risk and optimizing your tax position surprisingly easy. Bloomberg Tax Research is the gold standard of reliable and timely tax insights, delivered on an intuitive platform that helps you work faster.
Explore Bloomberg Tax Research
Bloomberg Tax is a leading research platform for tax professionals providing expert analysis, timesaving practice tools, primary resources, and comprehensive news coverage. From our Tax Management Portfolios and chart builders to BCite and Daily Tax Report, each product feature can help you stay in compliance, and spend less time on research ...
Practice and policy insights from academic tax research
The five articles selected for this column highlight the wide breadth of topics and methodologies found in academic tax literature. Topics within academic tax literature that may be of interest to practitioners include tax policy, corporate and individual taxpayer behavior, effects of tax on stakeholders, tax accounting issues, and tax data ...
Getting Started
Research Overview. This guide is designed to help you find laws and information on tax law issues. Although it focuses on U.S. federal tax law, it does include some information on state and local tax matters as well as some non-U.S. tax information. The purpose of this guide is to introduce you to a number of useful tax law resources and get ...
Tax research and guidance solutions from Thomson Reuters
The Thomson Reuters family of tax guidance and tax research solutions help you work quickly, reach globally, and stay on top of changing trends: Regulatory guidance across all 51 U.S. districts, Puerto Rico, and Canada. Integrated solutions from the Checkpoint and ONESOURCE® product suites. Human-centered research driven by powerful machine ...
A Summary of Recent Corporate Tax Research
A Summary of Recent Corporate Tax Research. 12/01/2011. Featured in print Reporter. By John Graham. Taxes are thought to influence corporate decisions in many ways. For that reason, in the past decade a number of changes (or proposed changes) to the U.S. tax code have been made in an attempt to affect corporate behavior.
Tax topics
Your local office can provide answers to your questions on the following tax law topics: Adoption tax credits and exclusions. Agricultural employers (Form 943) Alien clearance. Alimony income. Amended returns. Basis of property (including main home) Basis of stocks, bonds and mutual funds. Casualty and theft losses (non-business)
Research Archives
The Trump administration imposed nearly $80 billion worth of new taxes on Americans by levying tariffs on thousands of products in 2018 and 2019, amounting to one of the largest tax increases in decades. The Biden administration has kept most of the Trump administration tariffs in place. 19 min read.
Tax Topics
Treaties. Competent authority matters. Information exchange. Permanent establishment. Residency. Treaties. Withholding. Search Tax Notes' glossary of terms on taxation and tax topics to learn more! We offer the first source of corporate tax news, articles, and analysis.
Federal Tax
View All Policy Basics. The individual income tax and payroll tax together generate 84 percent of federal revenues, while corporate, excise, and other taxes generate the rest.We analyze major tax proposals, examining their likely impact on the economy, on the nation's fiscal health, and on the government's ability to address critical ...
267 Interesting Tax Topics to Write about & Examples
Here, you will find trending corporate tax research paper topics, taxes essay ideas, and bonus examples. Check them out! Table of Contents. 🔝 Top 10 Tax Topics to Write about in 2024; 🏆 Best Taxes Topic Ideas & Essay Examples; 👍 Good Essay Topics on Taxes;
Research Guides: Guide to Researching US Tax Policy: Choosing a Topic
Some faculty prepare a list of topic ideas. When choosing a topic, keep the following things in mind: (1) choose something you find interesting since you will be spending a large amount of time living with this topic; (2) think carefully about the scope of the topic - avoid overly broad or general topics as well as topics that are too narrow ...
Find information on complex tax topics
Here are some other ways to get help if you do have a question on a complex tax topic that we can't answer: Check the help feature of your electronic filing software; Review our forms, ... Claim the Research Tax Credit - Form 6765, Credit for Increasing Research Activities; Classification of taxpayers for U.S. tax purposes;
Prepare for Proposed Changes to Form 6765 R&D Tax Credit
This marks a significant change in the approach to claiming research tax credits, necessitating careful attention and adaptation from taxpayers. Background on Form 6765 Changes The initial draft of the revised Form 6765 was released on September 15, 2023, introducing a new Business Component Detail section and various other changes aimed at ...
#1 Tax Blog
Tax Policy Blog. Stay informed with quick and accessible analysis of today's top tax policy topics. Read Tax Foundation's Tax Policy Blog for insight from our experts on tax policies across the U.S. and abroad. To find our most recent research papers and data, click the links below. See Recent Research See Recent Data.
European Court of Justice Revives €13 Billion State Aid ...
In a crucial legal victory for the European Commission, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has upheld the Commission's decision that Apple must repay up to €13 billion in back taxes to ...
Trillions of dollars of fossil fuel finance routed via tax havens
Trillions of dollars of bank finance to fossil fuel companies is being routed via opaque financial centers in several countries, including the Netherlands, research published on Wednesday showed.
Testimony: Lessons for the 2025 Tax Policy Debate
Note: The following is the testimony of Daniel Bunn, President & CEO of TaxA tax is a mandatory payment or charge collected by local, state, and national governments from individuals or businesses to cover the costs of general government services, goods, and activities. Foundation, before the US Senate Committee on Finance hearing on September 12, 2024, titled, "The 2025 Tax Policy Debate ...