Article on Reforming the U.S. Corporate Tax Code to Not Just Be Simple, But Be Sensible

Eric Goldspiel published an Article entitled, Reforming the U.S. Corporate Tax Code to Not Just Be Simple, But Be Sensible, Tax Law & Policy eJournals (2018). Provided below is an abstract of the Article:

The​ ​complexity​ ​of​ ​people’s​ ​efforts​ ​to​ ​tax​ ​themselves​ ​has​ ​bedeviled​ ​minds​ ​for generations.​ ​​ ​Taxation​ ​has​ ​developed​ ​to​ ​raise​ ​revenue​ ​so​ ​that​ ​our​ ​governments’​ ​can​ ​function. Throughout​ ​time,​ ​it​ ​has​ ​come​ ​to​ ​be​ ​an​ ​expedient​ ​way​ ​to​ ​pursue​ ​other​ ​policies​ ​as​ ​well.​ ​​ ​​ ​Yet, using​ ​the​ ​tax​ ​code​ ​to​ ​pursue​ ​other​ ​policies​ ​has​ ​complicated​ ​the​ ​code​ ​itself​ ​excessively.​ ​​ ​In​ ​this paper,​ ​we​ ​will​ ​examine​ ​ongoing​ ​efforts​ ​to​ ​simplify​ ​the​ ​tax​ ​code,​ ​explore​ ​countervailing​ ​policy interests​ ​such​ ​as​ ​fairness​ ​and​ ​generating​ ​wealth,​ ​and​ ​consider​ ​whether​ ​the​ ​simultaneous​ ​drives​ ​to be​ ​simple,​ ​be​ ​fair​ ​and​ ​be​ ​affluent​ ​can​ ​all​ ​converge​ ​as​ ​we​ ​gain​ ​a​ ​greater​ ​understanding​ ​of​ ​taxpayer behavior.​ ​​ ​Next,​ ​we​ ​will​ ​explore​ ​the​ ​possibility​ ​of​ ​this​ ​convergence​ ​between​ ​simplicity,​ ​fairness and​ ​the​ ​drive​ ​to​ ​generate​ ​wealth​ ​in​ ​greater​ ​detail​ ​under​ ​one​ ​provision​ ​of​ ​the​ ​corporate​ ​tax​ ​code, expensing,​ ​whereby​ ​corporations​ ​potentially​ ​reduce​ ​their​ ​tax​ ​liability​ ​by​ ​investing​ ​in​ ​their​ ​own growth.