National-tax-policy

This is a really great and readable text on what is often a challenging topic. The authors really have provided some insightful analysis on what is always a timely topic. I learned a tremendous amount and easily made my way through the flowing prose. I suggest this book for anyone interested in taxation and also for those of us who are simply "tax curious". This is a particularly relevant book given the upcoming elections!

This slender volume is a readable and entertaining survey of the woes of the current income tax system and of a variety of tax reform proposals intended to replace the current system. The section of the book that discusses the tax system's effect on labor supply, saving & investment, incentive to work, international competiveness, and other economic 'macro' effects, is especially insightful. The authors conclude (probably correctly) that the tax system's effect on these things is probably marginal, and, in any event, difficult to measure empirically. Therefore, any tax reform that promises 'economic nirvana' should be taken with a grain of salt. The authors suggest, without endorsement, that the hallmarks of any new (or improved) tax system should be simplicity, enforcability, and revenue- raising efficiency; the last denotes the absence of 'social tinkering' through the tax system. Unfortunately, the authors note that all of the various tax reform proposals being floated by politicians suffer severe political defects. A national sales tax would be difficult to enforce (that's probably correct); a broad-based value added tax (VAT) would be highly regressive; the 'flat tax' (wage tax) would be less progressive than the current income tax; and the consumed income tax (consumption tax) would be more complicated than the current income tax (that's probably not correct, and the authors do not explain this assertion well). These are principally political impediments to reform- the authors suggest that it will take an act of political courage by Congress or the president to make any progress on the tax reform front. That's clearly correct, but don't hold your breath.

Tax reform isn't usually one of those topics that gets people excited -- most people view it the same way George Bush looks at broccoli. But Slemrod and Bakija do a great job of making it interesting and explaining complex ideas in simple language. If you want to know how Steve Forbes' flat tax will hit your wallet or how much the current income tax system stymies growth, this is the book for you. Simply, it is a great, great place to start to learn about tax reform. It's as good as it gets on the topic

Mr. Pollack's book is an historical and critical review of the politics of the federal income tax. Because he focuses on tax complexity as a political phenomenom, the book is a highly useful addition to the tax literature, and is somewhat unique in its focus. Chapter 7, on the causes of tax complexity, is especially interesting reading. While the causes of tax complexity are well-known, Mr. Pollack does an excellent job of discussing the various causes and why these factors are so intractible. Also useful is his discussion of the tax reform criteria 'fairness' and 'vertical equity'. Pollack points out that these terms cannot be objectively defined- fairness and vertical equity are subjective concepts that continually add to the complexity of the tax code. By and large, the book maintains a dispassionate, impartial attitude toward the tax reform debate. The author adds a 'postscript' on the 'flat tax' that is, however, somewhat partisan, and, for that reason, disappointing. He rails against the 'fairness' of the flat tax, after the bulk of the book is devoted to emphasizing that 'fairness' is a subjective matter. He questions whether the flat tax would really be any simpler than the current income tax. The flat tax is a wage tax; how could it not be simpler? Finally, he notes that there would be significant transition issues to deal with in switching to a different system of collecting revenue. That's certainly correct, but hardly a compelling reason to stick with the current mess