Based on the best available theory and evidence, the Mirrlees Review sets out a comprehensive set of proposals for tax reform. While focused on the UK, its analysis and conclusions bear directly on the policy debate in other developed countries. The Review proposes a move to a more neutral tax...

Empirical analysis of whether state and local retail taxes are fully shifted to consumers. Compares two different time periods, 1925-1939 and 1947- 1977, and contrasts increases in each period.

This paper illustrates how different assumptions about household portfolio behavior influence estimates of the amount of individual income tax revenue that would be collected if the interest tax exemption for state and local government bonds were repealed or curtailed. Using data from the 2004...

This paper explores the contribution that public choice models can make to the traditional efficiency and distributional analyses of tax policy. It notes the relative lack of attention to political economy issues in public finance, at least in comparison with other policy-oriented subfields in...

This paper presents new evidence on the level and distribution of income and payroll tax burdens for U.S. families over the 1979-99 period. During this period, payroll taxes have become an increasingly important component of the tax burden for many low- and middle-income families. This paper...

This paper explores the current tax treatment of non-qualified immediate annuities and distributions from tax-qualified retirement plans in the United States. First, we describe how immediate annuities held outside retirement accounts are taxed. We conclude that the current income tax treatment...