Tax Reform—Looking Beyond A Rate Reduction

For the past few years, tax reform discussions have focused on broadening the base and lowering the rate. We are now hearing a bit more about consumption taxes including in the form of a credit invoice VAT like most of the world uses (in addition to their income taxes).

I like to offer reminders of additional tasks and discussions that should be taking place in addition to the above. For example, how about identifying a goal for tax reform? That will help in knowing if you’re getting there. Also, it is important for the taxing jurisdiction to know its economic, societal and environmental goals to be sure at least that the tax system is not impeding reaching those goals.

I’ve got a short article with a few suggestions for looking beyond a lower tax rate. I hope you’ll take a look.

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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