Long-Run Effects of the Accelerated Cost Recovery System

Much of the debate surrounding the enactment of President Reagan's tax plan was concerned with the short run effects of macroeconomic stimulation. Now that the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981 has become law, it is appropriate to look again at the long run effect of these tax cuts. This paper measures, for 37 different assets and for 18 different industries, the reduction in effective corporate tax rates that result from the acceleration of depreciation allowances and the expansion of the investment tax credit. It also uses a detailed dynamic general equilibrium model of the U.S. economy to simulate the effects of the new Accelerated Cost Recovery System (ACRS) on revenues, investment, long run growth, and capital allocation among industries. We find significant welfare gains from ACRS, but we find larger welfare gains from alternative plans that were not adopted.