Papers » The Hamilton Project

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NEW PAPER

The Hamilton Project Policy Response to the State of the Union Address

January 2012 • Education, Economic Security, Employment & Wages, Energy & Environment, Infrastructure, Tax Policy, Technology & Innovation

Last night, President Barack Obama delivered his State of the Union address, putting forth his policy agenda to the 112th Congress on issues. Since its launch in 2006, The Hamilton Project has developed targeted policy proposals that touch on many of these areas, which we offer as a resource to policymakers in response to specific ideas mentioned by the President last evening.

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A Modern Corporate Tax

December 2010 • Alan J. Auerbach • Tax Policy

The U.S. corporate tax system introduced more than 100 years ago has not kept pace with changes to the economy. The growing role of financial innovation and the increasingly global nature of U.S. corporate operations are chief among these changes, necessitating reform. This paper proposes two reforms to the U.S. corporate tax system.

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Stabilizing State and Local Budgets: A Proposal for Tax-Base Insurance

June 2008 • Akash Deep, Robert Z. Lawrence • Tax Policy, State & Local

Akash Deep and Robert Z. Lawrence propose an affordable federal instrument that could mitigate the adverse impact of tax-revenue shocks on communities by allowing them to buy tax-base insurance.

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Employment-Based Tax Credits for Low-Skilled Workers

December 2007 • John Karl Scholz • Employment & Wages, Tax Policy

This paper proposes increasing the return to work for low-income families through the expansion the earned income tax credit for low-income childless taxpayers and the creation of a targeted wage subsidy in certain economically depressed areas.

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An Equitable Tax Reform to Address Global Climate Change

October 2007 • Gilbert E. Metcalf • Energy & Environment, Tax Policy

This paper describes a carbon tax swap that is revenue and distributionally neutral. The tax swap levies a tax on greenhouse gas emissions with revenue being used to fund a reduction in the income tax, tied to earned income.

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Reforming Corporate Taxation in a Global Economy: A Proposal to Adopt Formulary Apportionment

June 2007 • Kimberly A. Clausing, Reuven S. Avi-Yonah • Tax Policy

This paper argues that the current system of taxing multinational firms generates tax distortions. It proposes a new system that would protect the U.S. tax base while alleviating problems created by the current system.

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Achieving Progressive Tax Reform in an Increasingly Global Economy

June 2007 • Jason E. Bordoff, Jason Furman, Lawrence H. Summers • Tax Policy

The dynamic forces of technological change, financial innovation, and globalization present new challenges for progressive taxation. This strategy paper offers several broad principles that reflect the new challenges facing our tax system in the 21st Century.

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Taxing Privilege More Effectively: Replacing the Estate Tax with an Inheritance Tax

June 2007 • Lily L. Batchelder • Tax Policy

Lily Batchelder proposes replacing the estate tax with an inheritance tax. She argues that this tax would lower taxes on heirs receiving smaller inheritances and those with moderate incomes.

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Rehabilitating the Business Income Tax

June 2007 • Edward D. Kleinbard • Tax Policy

In this paper, Edward D. Kleinbard introduces the Business Enterprise Income Tax (BEIT), a proposal for reforming business income taxation. He argues that the BEIT would achieve comprehensive and consistent taxation of capital income.

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The Simple Return: Reducing America’s Tax Burden Through Return-Free Filing

July 2006 • Austan Goolsbee • Tax Policy, Effective Government

In this paper, Austan Goolsbee proposes a program known as the "Simple Return," which would make it much easier for the millions of taxpayers with a relatively simple tax status to file their taxes.