Overcoming the Special Interests that Have Ruined Our Tax Code
30 Pages Posted: 7 May 2018
Date Written: January 3, 2018
Abstract
Federal, state and local tax policy is a mess. The 2,600 pages of the federal tax code are maddeningly complex and unnecessarily inefficient, but why? This chapter gives a detailed account of how the tax code got to where it is today, the role that special interests have played in creating a bloated tax code, and how we can make the tax code fair for all. Key takeaways: (1) Our tax code is a mess because it reflects the interests of groups looking for special tax treatment. (2) It’s imperative that we understand the history and origins of special interests’ influence on the tax code in order to clean up the mess.
Keywords: tax policy, taxation, tax subsidies, tax code, government favoritism, cronyism, special interests
JEL Classification: H2, H7, H71
Suggested Citation: Suggested Citation