On October 31, the Tax Policy Center posted distribution tables for Texas Gov. Rick Perry’s tax plan.
Also on October 31, the Hoover Institution posted an analysis of historical poll data relating to the flat tax. It finds that the idea has never achieved majority support in any poll.
And on October 31, I published an analysis of Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 tax plan.
An October 26 New York Times/CBS News poll found support for raising taxes on millionaires by a 2-to-1 margin. And by better than a 2-to-1 margin, people believe that money and wealth should be more evenly distributed.
An October 26 Fox News poll found that people prefer the flat tax to a national sales tax.
On October 25, the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University published a study which found that Obama administration tax proposals would have a modest negative effect on charitable giving.
An October 25 ABC News/Washington Post poll found stronger support for Rick Perry’s flat tax than Herman Cain’s 9-9-9 tax plan.
Also on October 25, University of Michigan law professor Reuven Avi-Yonah and Ben Gurion University economist Yaron Lahav posted a working paper which examined the taxes paid by the largest multinational corporations in the U.S. and Europe. It finds that American companies are not disadvantaged compared to European countries even though the statutory corporate tax rate is higher here. The reason is that European corporate tax systems have fewer preferences. The effective tax rate is lower in the U.S.
An October 24 poll by the Spectrem Group of investors with at least $1 million in assets found that two-thirds support higher taxes on millionaires to improve the economy.
On October 19, economists Alberto Alemanno and Ignacio Carreño posted a forthcoming article reviewing European policies toward the taxation of fattening foods to fight obesity.
I last posted items on this topic on October 26.
Bruce Bartlett is an American historian and columnist who focuses on the intersection between politics and economics. He blogs daily and writes a weekly column for The Fiscal Times. Bartlett has written for Forbes Magazine and Creators Syndicate, and his work is informed by many years in government, including as a senior policy analyst in the Reagan White House. He is the author of seven books including his new book: The Benefit and the Burden.
