The Washington Outsider

Politicizing the Tax Code: Double Taxation Shows How Special Interests Have Poisoned Public Policy

12/13/2017

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Senate Republicans and House Republicans reached a compromise by lowering tax rates for higher earners, thus enabling the 2017 GOP Tax Plan to advance to a final round of voting.  Although analysis by some organizations, such as the Treasury Department’s Office of Tax Policy, suggest the major tax overhaul will be a net benefit to the economy and the Federal budget, based on a rosy assumption for increased economic growth, others shows little benefit in terms of economic growth, increased Federal deficits, and higher tax burdens on middle to lower income taxpayers.  All of the analyses are based on a number of debatable assumptions.  Which analysis is more correct seems to depend more upon one’s political views than the actual validity of the argument and data used, which demonstrates exactly why public policies tend to be so flawed.
Public policies function only when they are designed to address real world issues based on real world conditions in realistic ways.  Politics is based on how people see the world and how they want the world to work.  By politicizing tax policy, which has happened over the course of generations, politicians and lobbyists have created economic problems.  The refusal to recognize the need to fund government and embrace the need for taxes, for example, has created a situation where massive government spending has gone unfunded.  Basing tax policy on what is most beneficial to affluent taxpayers and the desires of influential special interest groups has also helped deprive government of tax revenue and distort the economy by further advantaging influential groups over others.  
 
The debate over the State and local tax deduction, for example, demonstrates exactly how politics has undermined sound tax policies.  When it comes to taxes on business revenue and capital gains, which includes taxes on the earnings of shareholders who might be considered business owners, the issue of double taxation is often raised to justify cuts on both rates.  Sales taxes are an example of double taxation of earnings already taxed.  Double taxation also occurs when businesses pay taxes on revenue then issue dividends without expensing their dividends.  Ironically, Republicans tend to stand firm against double taxation when it comes to corporations and wealthy investors, yet it is Republican who seek to repeal the tax code provision that allows taxpayers to deduct their State and local property taxes as well as their State income taxes or State sales taxes.  It is hypocrisy based on special interest-driven politics.
 
Advocates for the repeal of the State and local tax deduction rationalize their support for double taxation by framing the tax provision as a subsidy for dysfunctional State and local government.  As American Enterprise Institute Fellow Alex Brill wrote in The Hill, “But state and local taxes are best understood as payments for consumption, such as schools, and police and fire protection.  There is no more reason to deduct those payments than the purchases of other consumer goods.”  Although his assertion is an issue that should be explored, it is just an assumption and opinion, not a factual statement.  Assuming the deduction does have some subsidy effect, it is likely relatively small and impacts government policy in a very complicated way.  
 
Treating State and local taxes as payments for consumption means Federal taxes must be treated the same.  In which case, double taxation places the Federal governments in direct competition with State and local governments for tax dollars.  Because the Federal government enjoys legal and economic supremacy over State and local governments, the Federal government will win in any competition, thereby undermining the ability of State and local governments to fund themselves.  It also allows the Federal government to grow unchecked, e.g. the deduction helps keep Federal taxes lower.  As the Federal government directly subsidies State and local governments, the situation is actually far more complicated.  The State and local tax deduction empowers State and local governments, as well as their constituents, to support themselves instead of creating a greater reliance on Federal government.
 
Brill also argues, “The deduction also distorts tax decisions made by states, inducing them to impose heavier income taxes on high-income individuals in order to maximize the federal subsidy.”  It is true that a higher deduction makes it easier to raise taxes on the wealthy and it is also likely true that communities with high taxes and large populations of high-income individuals engage in higher taxing partially thanks to the deduction just health insurance deductions encourage the over-consumption of health insurance.  Because localized governments better represents the interests of their population due to the size of the governed community, which is why Republicans favor local government,  wealthy individuals are both more likely to benefit from higher local taxes and more likely to support higher local taxes that fund projects in their own communities.  In other words, these taxpayer have greater control over how their tax dollars are spent.
 
Double taxation would force State and local government to rely more on the Federal government by starving local and State governments of tax revenues.  Alternatively, it would push wealthier individuals, who would face higher Federal taxes, due to the need to subsidize local and State governments, to move away from communities with higher taxes.  As poorer communities receive higher levels of Federal and State funding than wealthier communities, wealthier communities would be pressured to reduce services.  There is no actual incentive to improve government services, which is the justification for double taxation.  The reason local, State, and Federal government are so inefficient and dysfunctional has nothing to do with taxes.  It is the product of special interests influence and a lack of responsive government that fails to truly represent the interests of individuals.
 
The simple truth is that advocates want to allow double taxation, because they want a broader tax package that favors wealthier businesses and individuals.  Double taxation helps them pay for that tax policy overhaul.  Double taxation of individuals is simply a means to an end, i.e. a political convenience.  Unfortunately, double taxation would simply weaken local and State governments, thereby hurting the levels of government where citizens have the most direct representation and most influence.  Opponents of double taxation are against double taxation, because they believe government should not tax income that has already been spent on taxes, which is just and sensible.  Advocates hope to crush government, because they do not like government and/or ease the tax burden of special interests groups.  By doing so, however, they actually favor a bigger Federal government and risk overtaxing those under-represented individuals whose incomes are double taxed.  
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      • Why Hardliner Thinking in the NSA and CIA is Doing Damage
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      • What Modern Day Revolutionaries Need to Learn from Leader's like Mandela
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      • How Honesty Relates to the Great Recession
      • Why the Middle Class and Rich Need to Support Their Long-term Interests
      • The Aristocratic Republic of the United States of America
      • Discussing the Need for Community Support
      • Why New Forms of Capitalism and Socialism Will Compliment Each Other
      • The Reason We Need to Understand What it is to Be Poor in America
      • Why the World Needs to Reinvest in America
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      • Why Does Terrorism Exist?
      • US Influence: The Value of American Citizenship Around the World
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        • Is Suicide a Cowardly Way Out?
      • Defense Against the Dark Arts of Manipulators
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        • Recognizing Abuse
      • The Role of Substitution in Decision Making
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      • Understanding the Effects of Groupthink in the Workplace
      • Relating Circular, Inductive, and Deductive Reasoning to the Scientific Method and Religion
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      • The Need for Greater Economic Leverage >
        • Evaluating NAFTA and TPP
        • Undercutting Logistics with the Underpaid Independent Contractor
        • Unions: Hindrance or Essential to Free Markets
        • Eminent Domain Used Against Banks
        • Haitians Sue the UN for Failure to Help With Cholera
        • Looking at How Corn-based Ethanol and Other Alternative Energy Subsidies Stack Up
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        • Irish Sovereignty Lost Before Bailout
        • Why Sudan's Greatest Long-Term Hurdle is Our Lowest-bidder Economy
        • Reduce US Imports by Buying American Made Products
      • Ending the need for government support and tackling poverty
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        • On Questioning the Need to Address Economic Disparity
        • Minimum Wage is Not the Problem
        • Responding to the "Blip"
        • Why Education Is Not The Civil Rights Issue Of The Twenty-First Century
      • Considering the Impact of the Capital Gains Tax Deduction
      • Embracing a Capitalist Mindset >
        • Capitalism Versus Socialism
        • The Negatives of Socialism
      • Stealing Intellectual Property
      • Changing Business Models: From Enduring Entities to Cash Cows
      • Consumer and Investor Evolution in the Great Recession of 2008-09
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      • Is Technology Threatening Jobs?
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      • The Role of Education in Creating a More Dynamic Workforce
      • Primary Education in America and the Changing Needs of Society
      • The Greatness of the American Education System
      • Ideas for Improving the United States Education System
      • Are Teachers Treated as Professionals?
      • Is Engaging Parents in Their Children's Education a Major Factor in Turning Around Low-performing Schools?
      • Should Grants Be Awarded to School Districts that Try Innovative Methods to Improve Student Achievement?
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      • On Reading the US Constitution
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      • On the DOJ Justifying the “targeted Killings” of US Citizens
      • Corporations Do Not Have the Same Rights as US Citizens >
        • Corporate America Pleads the First
      • Discussing the Constitutionality of Per Capita Taxes
      • Was the California Supreme Court Right in Legalizing Gay Marriage?
      • Should the Bible Continue to Be Used for Swearing-in Ceremonies and in Courtrooms?
      • Should Religious Student Clubs Be Allowed in Public Schools?
      • Should the Government Control Talk Radio to Make it More "balanced"?
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        • Are We Losing Our Second Amendment Rights
      • Eminent Domain Used Against Banks
      • Should a Woman Have the Right to Choose Abortion? >
        • Should Fathers Be Able to Opt Out of Parenthood?
      • Should Smoking Be Allowed in Public Places?
      • Is Teen Driving a Right or a Privilege?
      • Should US Companies Be Required to Provide Equal Pay to Women and Men?
      • Is eighteen too young to vote?
      • First Amendment Rights: The Priviledge of The Press
      • Do Mandatory Seat Belt Laws Violate Individual Rights?
      • Should cell phone use be banned while driving?
      • Dealing with the link between video game violence and children's behavior
      • Should police have to submit to routine drug and alcohol testing?
      • Public schools should not impose mandatory drug testing on students
      • Are High Taxes on Cigarettes Proper?
      • Should pharmacists be required to violate their religious beliefs and dispense the "Morning After Pill?"
      • Should school counselors uphold patient privacy or report students who become unstable?
  • For the record
    • Ongoing Issues >
      • Red Dawn in Ukraine: Understanding the Actions of Russia >
        • On Russia’s Coercion of Ukraine
        • The Russian Annexation of Crimea in the Eyes of the World
        • Putin Has Overplayed His Hand With Crimea
        • Ukraine in Terms of Resovereignization
        • Avoiding a Conflict Between America and Russia Over Ukraine
        • What Drives the World’s Interest in Russia’s Actions in Ukraine
      • China’s Aggressive Pursuit of Interests Demands a Global Response
      • Iran Makes a Deal: A Start to a Long-term Diplomatic Effort to Denuclearize Iran >
        • On the Future of a Nuclear Negotiations with Iran
      • America's Sphere of Influence: Retaking South-East Asia >
        • Power in Asia: Looking at the Power Shift in Japan
        • The China Paradox: Why America is Worried About China
      • Assessing US Support of Israel >
        • Tread Softly Israel for a Heavy Step May Be Your Undoing
      • Understanding the Dysfunctional Nature of the US-Pakistani Relationship
      • Recognizing the True Threat Behind the Current Unrest in the Middle East >
        • Reacting to the Escalating Crackdown in Syria
      • Assessing the Threat of North Korea >
        • Answering North Korea's Call for Food Aid: Breaking the Vicious Cycle Forced Upon Us by a Warring Nation
        • Dealing with the Restarting of the Korean War
        • North Korea Attacks South Korea
      • Dealing with the Ill-effects of Climate Change
      • Racial Inequality and Oppression Do Truly Exist in Today's Society
      • Should energy independence be a high priority in the US?
      • An overview of world wide Human Rights violations
      • Nuclear Threat from Pakistan
      • Return of The Cold War?
    • World >
      • Coverage of FIFA World Cup is a Chance to Focus on Poverty >
        • The FIFA World Cup Offers Benefits for More Than Brazilian Soccer Fans
        • FIFA Can Bring Brazilians Together as a Nation
      • Being Prepared for Any Potential Dangers at the FIFA World Cup Games
      • Treading Softly on the Politicizing of the 2014 Sochi Olympics Over Gay Rights
      • Why NATO Operations in Libya Lack a Well-defined Mission
      • China Hijacks the Web
      • Lessons from the Great Japanese Earthquake of 2011
      • A Modernizing Cuba Offers an Opportunity for Capitalists
      • The Seeds of Democracy Take Root in the Middle East
      • The Rebirth of Democracy in Tunisia
      • What May Come from the Hurt Revolution in Libya
      • Responding to the Violence of Qaddafi and Other Besieged Leaders
      • Embracing the Rise of a Democratic Egypt
      • Protests in Afghanistan Turn Deadly for Coalition Forces and UN Personnel
      • Haiti: Another Failing Humanitarian Investment
      • What Karzai Can Learn from Calderon
      • START II: A Necessary, Easy Success that Nearly Failed
      • Why Does the U.S. Government Support Independence for the Breakaway Serb Territory of Kosovo but Oppose Independence for the Breakaway Georgian Territories of Abkhazia and South Ossetia?
      • Iraq's Electric Issues: When Human Wants Trump Economic Sense
      • The International Community Reacts to Wikileaks: We May Be Moving Toward a Third World War in Cyberspace
      • On Climate Gate
      • Assessing Obama's Afghanistan War strategy
      • 2009 Iranian Presidential Election: The Fallout
      • Resolving Sri Lankan Conflict through Free Media
      • What are the Global Consequences of Russia's Invasion of Georgia
      • The War in Iraq: an assessment of President Bush's surge strategy
      • Drug War: Actions of Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador in terms of Resovereignization
      • Is the Iraq Refugee Crisis America's Responsibility?
      • US support for a united Kosovo, Abkhazia, and South Ossetia: why?
      • Should the US withdraw from Iraq?
      • Setting a Timetable for Troop Withdrawal from Iraq is a Terrible Mistake
      • War on Terrorism is needed
    • Law and Order >
      • Rape in the US Military
      • Ethics of Force-feeding Guantanamo Bay Detainees
      • Reacting to the Aftermath of the Tucson Massacre
    • Economy >
      • Affordability Drives Fear of Obamacare and the Individual Mandate
      • Is the Economy Built for a Job's Recovery?
      • Gutting Healthcare Reform of the Individual Mandate
      • Arizona Budget Cuts Lead to Lethal Healthcare Rationing:
      • Shameful Collection Practices of American Banks
      • The Fed Reveals it Actually Undertook an International Bailout
      • Thoughts on French Budgetary Reforms
      • Seniors Start Businesses
      • The Case for Slimming Down the US Military to Make it Better
      • Looking at the Obama Administration's New Approach to Economic Policy
      • Should the Government Regulate the Credit Card Industry?
      • The Big Three's Big Chance
      • The Unhealthy Tone of the Healthcare Reform Debate
      • Should the federal government offer a bailout for home owners?
      • Environmentalists: Do They Do More Good Than More Harm?
      • Responding to Scott Walker's Contribution to the War on Unions
    • US Government >
      • America Needs to Focus on the Impending Fiscal Crisis
      • Reacting to the Bush Era-tax Cut Extension Deal
      • Quitting the Obama Revolution: The Fickle Nature of American Politics
      • John Boehner's Circus
      • Is the Fed Putting Itself in Jeopardy?
      • Wikileaks Goes After the US State Department
      • Discussing the Political Environment Surrounding the 2011 Budget Debate
      • What the Democrats Can Do to Ensure a GOP Year in 2012
      • What the 2010 Midterm Actually Said
      • Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper
      • Democrats Minus Nancy Pelosi Equals Opportunity
      • Terrorists Go Postal: The Terrorism Threat Reexamined
      • Victory in the 2008 Election: Reaction to Barack Obama'a Win >
        • Expectations for Barack Obama
      • President Obama's first one hundred days
      • John McCain's Negative Campaign
      • Reasons People did not Elect John Mccain
      • History judges the George W. Bush Administration
      • Should the next US President focus on domestic issues?
      • President Bush, should he resign or be impeached
      • Should the Ban on Government Sponsored Assassinations be Repealed
    • Off Topic >
      • A Face of America’s Greatest Generation
      • A Story About a Man Who Made the World a Better Place
      • Making the World a Better Place
      • The Bipolar Ethical Nature of Google
      • Learning Computer Plays Jeopardy
      • Verifying Medicine is the Real Thing
      • Taking a Practical Step Forward in Optical Computing Using Slow Light
      • Scientists Take a Closer Look at How Lithium Batteries Work
      • Remarking on the First Blizzard of the 2010-2011 Winter Season
      • Driving in the Snow: Acceleration is the Key
      • How People in Northwest PA Are Coping with the Increasing Cost of Oil
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