Home >> FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Volume 59, Number 2

Prospects for Consumption-Based Tax Reform in the United States

Author: Zodrow, George R.

Source: FinanzArchiv: Public Finance Analysis, Volume 59, Number 2, June 2003 , pp. 264-294(31)

Publisher: Mohr Siebeck

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Abstract:

It appears that the debate in the US regarding ''fundamental tax reform,'' commonly defined as replacing the existing corporate and individual income tax system with some form of consumption-based taxation, is about to resume in earnest. At the current time, however, the chances for passage of such reform do not seem particularly great. This paper argues that, in addition to political reasons, doubts about the desirability of reform exist because several key economic issues raised by fundamental tax reform are not yet fully resolved. Specifically, before a compelling case for fundamental reform can be made, its advocates must address five key issues -- uncertainty about the economic effects of fundamental tax reform, concern about its distributive effects, uncertainty about the simplicity gains that might be obtained with fundamental reform relative to those under incremental income tax reform, concerns about undesirable transitional effects of fundamental tax reform, and concerns about its unintended side-effects. This paper examines the current state of the debate on each of these five issues.

Document Type: Research article

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1628/0015221032643146

Publication date: 2003-06-01

More about this publication?
  • FinanzArchiv founded in 1884 is one of the world's oldest professional journals in public finance.

    FinanzArchiv publishes original work from all fields of public economics which are of interest to an international readership, e.g. taxation, public debt, public goods, public choice, federalism, market failure, social policy, and the welfare state. Special emphasis is on high-quality theoretical and empirical papers on current policy issues.

    FinanzArchiv is a well-established, internationally oriented journal in the field of public economics, widely read in Europe and all over the world.

    FinanzArchiv is listed in the Social Science Citation Index (SSCI, JCR impact factor 2007 0,296), in Current Contents/Social and Behavioral Sciences, in IDEAS and RePEc (IDEAS/RePEc simple impact factor 2008 1.177), in the Journal of Economic Literature (CD and online), and in the International Bibliography of the Social Sciences.

    FinanzArchiv is a fully peer-reviewed journal committed to a prompt turnaround of submissions. No more than four months should pass between online submission of a manuscript and the editor's decision on acceptance, revision, or rejection.
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