States Need To Get Ready For Federal Tax Reform

Annette Nellen

There is lots of talk about federal tax reform. We are likely to see some legislative language from the House in spring, according to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (see Jeremy Quittner, “Paul Ryan Says Tax Reform Won’t Happen Any Time Soon,” Fortune, 2/2/17).

Federal tax reform presents opportunities and challenges for states. I’ve got an article in State Tax Notes on suggestions for state governments to consider. For example, to lower federal tax rates, the base will be broadened and most credits will go away. One of those credits is the low-income housing credit. State and local governments are indirect beneficiaries of this credit. State governments should consider asking Congress to give some of those dollars to the states rather than using them all for rate reductions.

I hope you’ll take a look – Time to Really Get Ready for Federal Tax Reform.

What do you think?

Annette Nellen, CPA, Esq., is a professor in and director of San Jose State University’s graduate tax program (MST), teaching courses in tax research, accounting methods, property transactions, state taxation, employment tax, ethics, tax policy, tax reform, and high technology tax issues.

Annette is the immediate past chair of the AICPA Individual Taxation Technical Resource Panel and a current member of the Executive Committee of the Tax Section of the California Bar. Annette is a regular contributor to the AICPA Tax Insider and Corporate Taxation Insider e-newsletters. She is the author of BNA Portfolio #533, Amortization of Intangibles.

Annette has testified before the House Ways & Means Committee, Senate Finance Committee, California Assembly Revenue & Taxation Committee, and tax reform commissions and committees on various aspects of federal and state tax reform.

Prior to joining SJSU, Annette was with Ernst & Young and the IRS.

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