Searching for the Ideal Tax Policy: Exploring the Road to Reform
Schedule:
Session One: Tuesday, November 15
The Road to Reform
An expert panel discussion on the President's
Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform
Hon. Maurice McTigue
Distinguished Visiting Scholar
Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Dr. Sarah E. Nutter
Associate Professor of Accounting
George Mason University
Dr. Peter R. Merrill
Director, National Economic Consulting Group
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Click Here to listen to audio archive.
Session Two: Wednesday, November 16
The Economics of Corporate Taxation
Dr. William Gentry
Professor of Economics
Williams College
Click Here to listen to audio archive.
Session Three: Thursday, November 17
Untangling the Fairness Issue
Dr. Michael Marlow
Professor of Economics
California Polytechnic State University
Session Four: Friday, November 18
Credits and Deductions: The Real World
Effects of Tax Expenditures
Dr. Michael Marlow
Professor of Economics
California Polytechnic State University
Click Here to listen to audio archive.
With the release of the final report of the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform this month, tax policy is no doubt returning to the top of the domestic agenda. Unfortunately, no issue generates more controversy and confusion among those on Capitol Hill than what to do with our current tax system. Almost every political candidate, economist, and pundit has a different recipe for a better code, and consensus often seems impossible.
In order to help policymakers better evaluate current proposals, the Mercatus Center at George Mason University is sponsoring a four-day course to address this important and timely issue. By focusing on key questions that underlie the current tax debates, this course will develop a multi-layered framework for analysis of tax policy. Participation in this program will allow you to better address the following questions:
- What are the costs, benefits and economic trade-offs of the recommendations from the President's Advisory Panel on Federal Tax Reform?
- What are the implications and effects of the corporate income tax? Who typically bears the economic costs associated with this tax?
- What is meant by “fairness” in the context of tax policy? Why does this generate such confusion? In particular, how do equity principles apply to our current tax reform debate?
- What are the intended and unintended outcomes of tax credits and deductions? How do they differ from direct taxation, and why is this issue now at the heart of the tax reform debate?