PAST EVENT
Friday, December 05, 2008
8:45 AM to 4:30 PM
Washington, DC
A new administration presents an ideal opportunity to reshape the nation’s tax code. Improving the equity, simplicity and efficiency of the tax system will help to better prepare taxpayers, businesses and the economy for the challenges that lay ahead. Brookings, the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center and Tax Analysts co-hosted a forum to explore timely policy recommendations for the incoming president and his transition team. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
William G. Gale and Benjamin Harris, December 05, 2008, The Brookings Institution
A new administration presents an ideal opportunity to reshape the nation’s tax code. Improving the equity, simplicity and efficiency of the tax system will help to better prepare taxpayers, businesses and the economy for the challenges that lay ahead. Read More
PAST EVENT
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
The U.S. tax code is too complex, often supports misguided incentives, and raises inadequate revenue to support government spending. William Gale, vice president and director of Economic Studies, answered questions in a live web chat with Politico's Jeanne Cummings, chief lobbying and influence writer, about strengthening and improving our nation’s tax code. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
William G. Gale, May 15, 2008, The Sacramento Bee
Stimulus checks are a bright note in this year’s tax season. But, William Gale asserts, the annual tax-filing ritual is otherwise complicated and outdated. He recommends that the presidential candidates advocate changes like streamlining tax incentives and allowing some taxpayers to pay without filing returns. Read More
PAST EVENT
Monday, December 03, 2007
10:15 AM to 12:00 PM
Washington, DC
From the individual alternative minimum tax (AMT) to an unstable mortgage market, many middle-class American families are at risk of losing their footing in today’s economy. Saving rates are at an all-time low and rising health premiums can render basic care unaffordable to even full-time workers. Opportunity 08 explores what the next President can and should do to promote individuals’ economic success and a sound middle class. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Jason Furman, November 07, 2007, The Brookings Institution
Simplifying a complex and inequitable tax system can take years, history has shown. Jason Furman urges prompt action now that the new Ways and Means tax reform proposal offers a solid starting point. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
William G. Gale, February 28, 2007, Opportunity 08
A good tax system raises the revenues needed to finance government spending in a manner that is as simple, equitable, stable, and conducive to economic growth as possible. But the challenge for the next President will be to make reform work not just in the abstract, but in the real world, where special interests often rule the roost. The next President should support reforms that would tax all income once (only) at the full tax rate, simplify and streamline the tax code, and, of course, raise sufficient revenues. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
William G. Gale, January 19, 2007, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
The individual alternative minimum tax (AMT) was originally designed to limit the amount of tax sheltering that taxpayers could pursue and to assure that high-income filers paid at least some tax. The current AMT, however, has strayed far from those original goals. Under current law, the tax will affect over 23 million taxpayers in 2007—many of them solidly middle-class—and mainly for reasons that have little or nothing to do with what most people would consider tax sheltering. Read More
PAST EVENT
Thursday, November 03, 2005
9:00 AM to 11:30 AM
Washington, DC
The Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center hosted a presentation and discussion on the findings of the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform, assessed their potential impact on American taxpayers and the chance of success in Congress. Participants included William Frenzel and Charles O. Rossotti, senior members of the panel. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
William G. Gale, October 01, 2005, Toward Fundamental Tax Reform
The basic description of a desirable tax system is broadly accepted: It should raise the revenues needed to finance government spending in a manner that is as simple, equitable, stable, and conducive to economic growth as possible. Although people agree that the current system clearly falls short of at least some of these goals, it is not easy to point to examples around the world that work much better. In addition, how the system should be reformed is subject to enormous controversy. People define the underlying goals differently—notions of fairness, for example, are clearly "in the eyes of the beholder." People disagree on the most effective policies for attaining a particular goal, such as more economic growth. And most importantly, people have differing value judgments, which make agreement on policy almost impossible in the nearly ubiquitous case where there are tradeoffs among the goals. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Peter R. Orszag and William G. Gale, September 19, 2004, Minneapolis Star-Tribune
Article by William G. Gale and Peter R. Orszag, Minneapolis Star Tribune (9/19/04) Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Peter R. Orszag and William G. Gale, February 04, 2004, The New Republic
William Gale and Peter Orszag examine the president's 2004 budet proposal, his tax cut proposals, and offer their own suggestions for balancing the budget over time. Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Peter R. Orszag, February 03, 2004, House Committee on the Budget
Testimony by Peter R. Orszag (2/3/04) Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Jeffrey Rohaly, Leonard E. Burman, Matthew Hall and William G. Gale, January 21, 2004, Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center
Opinion by Leonard E. Burman, William G. Gale, Jeffrey Rohaly, and Matthew Hall, Tax Policy Center (1/21/04) Read More
RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY
Matthew Hall, Peter R. Orszag and William G. Gale, January 21, 2004, The Brookings Institution
William Gale and co-authors examine the effects of making President Bush's tax cuts permanent. Read More