The upcoming one-year repeal of the federal estate tax creates an opportunity to reconsider the taxation of wealth transfers. This paper argues that federal wealth transfer taxes should be retained and potentially expanded. The estate tax contributes importantly to the progressivity of the tax...

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has called on governments to raise the price of sugar-sweetened beverages by 20% and to increase taxes on alcohol. It also supports taxes on food that is high in sugar, salt and/or fat. Michael Bloomberg, a WHO Ambassador, has set up the Task Force on Fiscal...

Much of the controversy surrounding recent policy proposals to broaden the base for value added taxes (VAT) revolves around who ultimately bears the burden of these taxes. The typical assumption is that consumer prices fully reflect taxes, so that the main empirical question is how the tax...

Elf Euroländer haben beschlossen, auf Basis eines EU-Richtlinienentwurfs eine Finanztransaktionssteuer einzuführen. Der Autor untersucht hier das zugrunde liegende Konzept und die Gestaltungsparameter. Die verzerrende Wirkung dieser Steuer hält er für gering, das Aufkommen wird wohl nicht...

It comes as no surprise to any observant person in this country that there is a wide disparity in our federal income tax treatment of persons who have differing incomes and financial resources. But while much has been written on tax law complexity and inefficiency, little or nothing has been...

We develop a model for determining the optimal high income linear tax rate when there exist imperfectly substitutable types of labor. If one type is disproportionately prevalent among higher income taxpayers, then wages adjust in response to more progressive taxation and part of the statutory...

This paper examines potential environmental tax policy reforms. It focuses primarily on a carbon tax, but also more briefly considers a range of other possible changes. These include revising or eliminating various energy and environmental tax credits and deductions (many of which might become...

Soda taxes are being implemented in several cities across the US with the aim of reducing sugar intake from sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs). Sugar is linked to obesity and to higher risk of diabetes and cardiovascular conditions, and sodas as the main source are targeted with these taxes. In...

Elf Euroländer haben beschlossen, auf Basis eines EU-Richtlinienentwurfs eine Finanztransaktionssteuer einzuführen. Der Autor untersucht hier das zugrunde liegende Konzept und die Gestaltungsparameter. Die verzerrende Wirkung dieser Steuer hält er für gering, das Aufkommen wird wohl nicht...

This paper surveys possible motivations for having a net wealth tax. After giving a short overview over the state of wealth taxation in OECD countries, we discuss both popular arguments for such a tax, as well as economic arguments. It is argued that classical normative principles of taxation...