Taxing Ourselves Fourth Edition

The fourth edition of a popular guide to the key issues in tax reform, discussing the current system and alternative proposals clearly and without a political agenda. As Albert Einstein may or may not have said, "The hardest thing in the world to understand is the income tax." Indeed, to follow the debate over tax reform, the interested citizen is forced to choose between misleading sound bites and academic treatises. Taxing Ourselves bridges the gap between the two by discussing the key issues clearly and without a political agenda: Should the federal income tax be replaced with a flat tax or sales tax? Should it be left in place and reformed? Can tax cuts stimulate the economy, or will higher deficits undermine any economic benefit? Authors and tax policy experts Joel Slemrod and Jon Bakija lay out in accessible language what is known and not known about how taxes affect the economy, offer guidelines for evaluating tax systems, and provide enough information to assess both the current income tax system and the leading proposals to reform or replace it (including the flat tax and the consumption tax). The fourth edition of this popular guide has been extensively revised to incorporate the latest information, covering such recent developments as the Bush administration's tax cuts (which expire in 2011) and the alternatives proposed by the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform. Slemrod and Bakija provide us with the knowledge and the tools—including an invaluable voter's guide to the tax policy debate—to make our own informed choices about how we should tax ourselves.

The new edition of a popular guide to the key issues in tax reform, presented in a clear, nontechnical, and unbiased way. To follow the debate over tax reform, the interested citizen is often forced to choose between misleading sound bites and academic treatises. Taxing Ourselves bridges the gap between the oversimplified and the arcane, presenting the key issues clearly and without a political agenda. Tax policy experts Joel Slemrod and Jon Bakija lay out in accessible language what is known and not known about how taxes affect the economy and offer guidelines for evaluating tax systems—both the current tax system and proposals to reform it. This fifth edition has been extensively revised to incorporate the latest data, empirical evidence, and tax law. It offers new material on recent tax reform proposals, expanded coverage of international tax issues, and the latest enforcement initiatives. Offering historical perspectives, outlining the basic criteria by which tax policy should be judged (fairness, economic impact, enforceability), examining proposals for both radical change (replacement of the income tax with a flat tax or consumption tax) and incremental changes to the current system, and concluding with a voter's guide, the book provides readers with enough background to make informed judgments about how we should tax ourselves. Praise for earlier editions “An excellent book.” —Jeff Medrick, New York Times “A fair-minded exposition of a politically loaded subject.” —Kirkus Reviews

The new edition of a popular guide to the key issues in tax reform, presented in a clear, nontechnical, and unbiased way. To follow the debate over tax reform, the interested citizen is often forced to choose between misleading sound bites and academic treatises. Taxing Ourselves bridges the gap between the oversimplified and the arcane, presenting the key issues clearly and without a political agenda. Tax policy experts Joel Slemrod and Jon Bakija lay out in accessible language what is known and not known about how taxes affect the economy and offer guidelines for evaluating tax systems—both the current tax system and proposals to reform it. This fifth edition has been extensively revised to incorporate the latest data, empirical evidence, and tax law. It offers new material on recent tax reform proposals, expanded coverage of international tax issues, and the latest enforcement initiatives. Offering historical perspectives, outlining the basic criteria by which tax policy should be judged (fairness, economic impact, enforceability), examining proposals for both radical change (replacement of the income tax with a flat tax or consumption tax) and incremental changes to the current system, and concluding with a voter's guide, the book provides readers with enough background to make informed judgments about how we should tax ourselves. Praise for earlier editions “An excellent book.” —Jeff Medrick, New York Times “A fair-minded exposition of a politically loaded subject.” —Kirkus Reviews

You earned it, now keep it! Maximize your profits by getting the most out of every tax deduction. No matter what kind of small business you have, you owe it to yourself to take advantage of every legitimate business deduction and personal tax planning advantage at tax time. In the newly updated fourth edition of Make Sure It’s Deductible, Evelyn Jacks, Canada’s bestselling and most trusted tax author and educator, delivers vital tax facts that will save you money—presented in a clear, friendly style that’s easy to read, understand and apply to your own business. Join the more than 35,000 entrepreneurs who’ve turned to this tax-saving classic to learn about: What expenditures are fully deductible and which are restricted How to claim expenses under new auto and home office rules Hiring family members and splitting income to keep more of your money Building significant wealth with the capital gains deduction and savvy income re-investment strategies Planning for a secure lifestyle now and in retirement Make Sure It’s Deductible provides vital, practical information you need to increase your bottom line and run a tax-efficient and audit-proof small business. “Evelyn Jacks is well-deserving of her reputation as Canada’s most trusted tax advisor. This book could save thousands of tax dollars for anyone who is self-employed, runs a small business, or is thinking of starting one.”—Gordon Pape, bestselling author and editor and publisher of The Internet Wealth Builder

Many books have been written about tax reform, but none offer the pragmatic and understandable approach that you’ll find in this treatise filled with a nonpartisan set of solutions to fix an antiquated and indecipherable tax system. James C. Tanner, a certified public accountant with more than four decades of experience, explores how we can: • Create a fair and logical tax framework by rethinking income exclusions, exemptions, deductions, credits, tax brackets, capital gains, and other tax alternatives; • reform tax expenditures, including health insurance and medical costs, home mortgage and other interest deductions, retirement plan deductions, charitable donations, and capital gains on assets sold and transferred; • lower the tax rates for most individual and corporate taxpayers while making our US companies more competitive with their foreign counterparts. Tanner also outlines how historical decisions and legislative proposals led to our current tax laws under the premise that we can’t fix them without understanding why they were created in the first place. For those who want to participate in the national debate on federal tax reform, it begins with a firm understanding of the system and the practical proposals in Tax Reform with the 20/20 Tax.

Taxes in America, by preeminent tax scholars Leonard E. Burman and Joel Slemrod, offers a clear, concise explanation of how our tax system works, how it affects people and businesses, and how it might be improved. Accessibly written, the book describes the confundities of the modern tax system in an easy-to-grasp manner and addresses issues relevant to the average taxpayer.

An authoritative but accessible reference, this book enables anyone to truly understand both the background and operation of the U.S. tax system and current tax reform proposals. Dissatisfaction with high taxes is literally an American tradition; indeed, the American Revolution that led to the founding of the United States started as a tax revolt. Today, widespread displeasure with our tax system continues, as demonstrated by the strong anti-tax position of the recent Tea Party movement. Tax Reform: A Reference Handbook, Second Edition introduces lay readers to taxes in general, the U.S. tax system in particular, and the issues involved in reforming the system. Details regarding past tax reform measures are provided to lend relevance and perspective to recent tax reform proposals, such as replacing the income tax (and the IRS) with a federal sales tax. The author stresses political rather than technical issues, and presents all viewpoints on this hotly debated topic fairly.